Volcano
by CultOfStrawberry
Summary: The Fire Lord is lonely and desires the company of a certain Waterbender. He will let no one stand in his way, especially not the Avatar. Naturally, said Waterbender will have something to say about all of this! ... Final story in the Cold Fire trilogy
1. Prologue

**Volcano**

Chapter 00 – Prologue

To understand what has happened in this story, you need to read the first two stories within this trilogy – Cold Fire and Hot Water. You don't _have_ to, of course, but it would make the plot for this story clearer.

This story serves as an alternate ending to Hot Water, and diverges from chapter 17/18 of Hot Water. This story was actually inspired by some people wondering what would have happened had Katara actually made it out of Sozun after Zuko's Agni Kai. It was a intriguing enough idea, so I decided on this undertaking. So basically, this is a kind of AU, serving as a what-if... What if Katara managed to escape Sozun without being caught by Iroh? It is a shorter story than Hot Water, running for 10 chapters (not including prologue and epilogue)

Several points to be clear in this story. It has been over two years since the events in Hot Water, and the characters have aged respectively. Zuko is almost twenty, Katara is seventeen, and Aang is fifteen. Since several people have expressed confusion or asked questions about the timeline previously, I will post a simplified one here as part of my final edition of Volcano. I will be using BSC/ASC (Before/After Sozin's Comet) as a reference point for this timeline.

Appr. 11-10 Months BSC (Autumn) – Avatar Aang is awakened from the iceberg, starting off the entire Avatar story. I know that the first Book was Winter, but the Winter Solstice was observed in episodes 7 and 8 of this book, making Season 1 of the show actually cover both autumn and winter.

Appr. 8 Months BSC – 'The Waterbending Scroll', Zuko captures Katara, 'Cold Fire' is set during this episode.

5 Months BSC (Early spring) – Zuko captures the Avatar and his companions, starting the story of 'Hot Water'

4 Months BSC – Zuko arrives in Sozun with Katara and Aang.

Appr. 2 Months BSC – Zuko challenges his father to an Agni Kai and defeats him, becoming the Fire Lord and calling off the War.

Over the next two years ASC – Peace has been declared, but there are still small warring factions here and there from militant Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom citizens. Zuko keeps most of the lands that the Fire Nation has gained in the War, so their lands are now comparable to the Earth Kingdoms to put them on more even footing. Some of the lands were returned to EK, but Zuko also granted some lands to the Water Tribes and put them under his protection.

Years ASC – Start of 'Volcano'

3 Years ASC – Within the storyline of 'Hot Water', Katara is crowned Fire Lady

Disclaimer – ATLA does not belong to me, it belongs to DiMartino and Koneitzko

o0o0o0o

The Night after Zuko's Agni Kai

Katara's heart was pounding as she leaned against a tree, feeling the cool night air fill her lungs. Zuko had defeated his sire in the Agni Kai – and she truly was happy for him. He would be a better ruler than his sire was, that was for certain. In the distance, she could hear the chatter of Fire Nation citizens as they discussed the results of the Agni Kai. She would be stuck here for another day, that much was certain. Only a few ships were sent out to the other islands to bring the message that Zuko was now Fire Lord. She had been about to approach one of the captains of the merchant ships to see how much it might cost for a trip, only to hear him talk with a person who was apparently his client, revealing the fact that a day's moratorium had been placed on all the ships around Sozun.

There were quite a few nice green areas around the city, thanks to the rich volcanic soil. There were orchards where she could sleep or hide until she could escape. Part of her wanted to go back to Zuko, but she had hated it here so much that she had no desire to spend any more time here than she was forced to. Never would she go back to the days of being paraded around in Court in front of the Fire Lord and his courtiers as the 'tamed' Water Nation barbarian. She hadn't been allowed to Bend, and without anyone else besides Zuko to confide in, she had felt terribly alone.

No more of that. She was going back to her Tribes, but first she would make an effort to find Aang. Zuko was going to let him go. When she had asked him that, he nodded. He had never lied to her, however much the truth hurt. If he didn't want to say something, he'd remain silent. She had learned about him in their time together.

Yes. She would wait. She slid into the shadows that the trees and buildings offered. Since so many people were preoccupied with Ozai's death, there were less people in most areas of the city, so it was easy for her to navigate her way out. Little houses and bungalows along with several grand mansions dotted the low verdant hills.

The Avatar lay on a branch, hidden within the thick leaves of a star-fruit tree. He had made his way to the orchards near the shore, taking refuge in them. Their fruit was nowhere near ready to bloom, and due to the mild weather of the Islands, they were large and healthy with plenty of foliage for him to hide behind. He was thinking about Bending his way across the ocean to the nearest island. But to do that, he would need plenty of rest. Orn he could use that rest and wait until morning to see if he could find Katara. He made sure to not fall asleep, though, so he could remain alert to the sounds of anyone who might be creeping up to look for him.

It had been hard, though, especially with his lingering wounds. But by sitting in a uncomfortable position and shifting around every so often, he managed to keep himself at least semi-conscious. All he heard was the gentle lapping of waves and the quiet rustle of leaves.

He was suddenly alert to the sound of slightly labored breathing. Slowly, he sat up more fully and leaned forward. There was someone coming in his general direction. Whoever it was was almost impossible to see, shrouded under a dark cloak and sticking to the shadows under the trees to evade the limited moonlight. It crept low and stopped under a tree just to his right. Already well-adjusted to the darkness, he was able to make out the person's movements, seeing it sit down and lean against the trunk, left side to him. A heavy sigh escaped its lips.

The boy remained where he was, staring at it intently, wondering if it was even aware of his presence. Its breathing became regular, and it fell asleep.

Aang let out a low sigh. He couldn't see who it was because it had a hood. Dare he sneak closer? Unless... _Aha_. With a gentle gesture of his hand, he produced a light breeze, causing it to blow against the sleeper. When that gained no result, he tried another one, longer and stronger. It groaned and stirred, but did not move. He waited several more minutes before going for a firmer one. It gasped softly and lifted its head, pulling back its hood.

"Katara!" Aang cried out softly. She was instantly on her feet, her head whipping around.

"Who's there?"

"It's me." He dropped from the tree, wincing a bit as the landing jarred his aching joints. "Katara..."

"Aang! Oh!" He was about to walk towards her, but she rushed towards him, and he found himself enveloped within a tight embrace. He picked up his own arms and wrapped them around her, feeling her body against him. She wasn't a dream or hallucination. She was real.

They slid to the grass, both of them exhausted.

"Aang... you're safe. Zuko won the Agni Kai."

"Agni Kai? What?" Since he had been shuttled out of his prison by Zuko, he had remained hidden on the wooded fringe of the island. The Blue Spirit was the last person he had seen.

"Zuko. He challenged his father to an Agni Kai. He won. He's the new Fire Lord."

Aang let out his breath in a slow exhalation, dimly processing this news.

"See. You're safe. We're safe. And I found you." Though she was obviously tired, there was exultation and relief in her tone. He felt her cup his face, and the gesture reassured him immensely. It had been too long since he had had any kind of kind or loving touch. He could not help but lean his face against her hands.

"No, I found you." he shot back softly. She chuckled quietly.

"Why don't we just rest right here? I know that Zuko was letting you go. We don't need to worry about people searching for us."

He stiffened, still wary.

"If there's one thing, Zuko has been a man of his word. We both know that. Right before he let me go, he said he didn't want to continue the War." She thought about his account of how he had defied his father in the War Room.

"Then why are you here, if you know what happened?"

"I don't want to stay here." she replied. He thought of his own treatment at the hands of the Fire Lord, and how the nobles mocked him. Yeah. This wasn't his favorite place in the world, either, and Katara had been through a lot as well..

"I don't want to, either. Let's find Sokka. And Appa and Momo. And the Earth Kingdoms and Water Tribes will see that I'm free." There was no doubt that the other nations were dismayed to hear that the Fire Lord had the Avatar in his possession.

"Yes." Katara whispered, nuzzling his forehead, squeezing him tightly. He smiled to himself and curled up in her embrace.

o0o0o0o

Two and a half years later (late winter)

It'd been over two years since Katara had witnessed the Agni Kai between Zuko and his sire and then left Sozun. She wondered what would have happened if she had stayed, but the city and its people frightened her, and she had no desire to be part of it. She had made her way out and into freedom and safety, determined to start a new life and put it all behind her.

Zuko was now Fire Lord, and already there was a marked decrease in conflicts all around the world, with the Fire Lord having started to earn a reputation among a battle-wearied world as a just and fair-minded ruler. He had no interest in capturing the Avatar, and had signed a decree stating as much. That didn't mean the world was completely restored to balance, though. There was still conflict here and between the two Nations and from what she heard, a civil war within the Fire Nation itself from people who still thought the Fire Nation was destined to rule the world with the comet's power. And she had no desire to be part of that at all.

She had remained with Aang after the two of them managed to find one another. Then they had found Sokka. With a new bison whistle, Appa had been found within several weeks, and Momo was with him. They had traveled back to the South Pole, to the Air Temples and Omashu, all over the place, really. It was nice having Aang as a traveling partner and she savored the freedom she had lost when she had been taken by Zuko.

Sokka was now back at the South Pole, training to be a warrior and a leader among his people. She and Aang had both become better at Waterbending, and Aang was learning Earthbending as well from various Earthbenders he met on his travels in his quest for a suitable Master of Water, Earth, or Fire. Firebending on the other hand was something Aang barely knew and only had basic knowledge for, but he wasn't so much bothered by it because of his practice of the other elements.

She enjoyed the freedom she had with Aang, a freedom that had been sorely lacking when she had been a prisoner in Sozun, terrified by Zuko's sire and the court. Out here in the open, going wherever she pleased, being with someone who she trusted and was not afraid of, felt good even after two and a half years. Being around Aang sometimes made her feel like a child again, innocent and carefree, especially when she heard his laughter and looked into his eyes. After being in Sozun, both of them had agreed to simply leave that buried in the past and so they rarely if ever spoke of their imprisonment, and Sokka did the same. It was their secret, and secrets were better left buried. There was no need to tell Dad or anybody else what had happened.

One night, not too long after they had made their way back to the Southern Water Tribe, the Avatar had made his true feelings known to her. She had been in a bit of shock at first, but had come to accept, even enjoy his feelings and affection for her. And he was always so sweet to her and she could not help but smile a little whenever he held her close and whispered 'I love you' in her ear.

Unlike Aang, a certain Fire Lord had never uttered these words, and though she missed him at times, she figured this was for the best. Fire Nation was _not_ her home. It never could be.

She and Aang always ran from the people that the Fire Nation sent after them, which was one of the reasons they now moved around so much. There had been a close call, with that woman bounty hunter and her Shirshu, but they always managed to escape, partially out of her own determination to not go back to Sozun and partially because of Aang's determination to protect not just himself but the woman he loved.

And in time, as she learned to live with Aang's feelings for her, they grew closer. Sometimes they would simply lay on the grass and look at the sky, either during the day or nighttime, or take long, meandering walks through the town or countryside, not saying anything. Sometimes they would simply talk about whatever was on their minds, and sometimes Aang would curl up against her and she would hold him like a mother would hold a child, something that the boy had never known or remembered.

One night this summer, when she was holding him as they lay on the grass under a warm night sky, he had looked up at her with eyes filled with such need and she could not help but respond, needing comfort and a gentle touch. On that night they did much more than just hold each other or talk. He was fifteen, she was seventeen.

There were times when she would lay awake as Aang slept beside her, his arms around her, and think of her former lover, and become flustered at these thoughts. Deep down inside, even though she would not admit it, she missed the scarred man that had taken her with passion and shown her things that Aang would never have dreamed of. She would get angry with herself for these thoughts – but there was no denying it. She missed Zuko.

o0o0o0o

The information passed to him had paid off very well, the Fire Lord thought darkly, imagining just what he would do to the Avatar for daring to take what was his. He turned around, facing the soldiers with him, crumpling the small scroll in his hand. Ash would receive the rest of his payment once Katara was secured here on the ship. The lights of the city twinkled on the shore and he placed his hands on the railing. He had not been here in over a year, and the lights of Mentat danced in the twilight. He remembered this city well, although this time, there would be no time to enjoy it.

The messenger hawk that had delivered the scroll was given another message, and sent back to its master.

The Fire Lord's grip on the railing tightened at the thought of Katara, _his_ lovely Waterbender with another man, his ire growing, and for a moment he was tempted to take them both and execute the Avatar for daring to encroach on his goodwill by taking her from him.

He had sent bounty hunters after them before, including Jun herself, but the Avatar and the Waterbender had always managed to elude them, and every time he received a report of failure only increased his determination. He wanted to go after her himself, but he had his duties as Fire Lord to attend to and he could not afford to simply go on a quest to chase down one woman. Now, he was able to leave Sozun, and he felt safe leaving the control in the trusted and capable hands of his uncle and hand-picked advisers.

It felt nice to be out of the city and be on a ship again, and he took a deep breath of fresh air. So far, his voyage had gone well. He had stopped over at several towns along the Islands for casual surprise inspections, all had worked out. Mentat was a well-founded Colony town, and his stop here would only be brief. He just hoped that his guards wouldn't cause too much of a ruckus among the citizens.

He had sent the skilled mercenary Ash to track Aang and Katara although not capture them, and his patience had paid off. The mercenary had been following them for a couple of months now, hiding his presence from them. Now that they thought no one was pursuing them, they had slowed down a bit, and he could feel the end of his search within his grasp. The mercenary was called as such because it was said that he could reduce his targets to ash. He did this with an incredible feat of Firebending, controlling the combustive forces of fire to create explosions. An accident somewhere in his mysterious past cost him a hand, which was now a shiny, clawed prosthetic. Some people called him Combustion Man because of his explosive abilities, but the Fire Lord personally thought 'Ash' suited him better. He had been tempted to ask the mercenary to reduce the Avatar to ash.

Oh, how the thought of the Avatar with his Waterbender galled him. Course, there were no definite stories that Katara and Aang were indeed lovers. For all anyone could see, they were simply traveling companions. But he still didn't like it especially since he knew how the boy had looked at her. He remembered the glances Aang would give her when they had all been living on the ship, and it had been a couple of years. He guessed Aang would be what, fifteen now? He received reports of Aang's travels and where he had been seen, and Aang was indeed helping with some of the conflicts, using his position as Avatar to meditate differences. Always, these reports said there was a dark-skinned girl with him.

The Fire Lord was now nearly twenty, and had grown taller and broad-shouldered. When he looked in the mirror, he saw a man that had come a long way, fierce but humbled by his ordeals. He looked much like his father did, except for the scar, of course. And Katara? He imagined she had blossomed as well and longed to feel her body in his embrace. A day, much less a year apart was far too long, and when he reclaimed her, he was never going to let go. How could he forget their last morning together? He remembered the concern in her eyes when she looked at him, her genuine wish for him to win the Agni Kai. Why didn't she come back? She should know he would never hurt her.

He had tried the company of concubines simply for sexual gratification – with the famed Azure Concubine gone, the Court foisted their young female relatives at him _constantly_ – but that had left him feeling even more empty than before. Highly skilled women had been brought to perform myriad pleasures on him, but none of them spent an entire night in his bed, or even just a hour before he sent them away, feeling more frustrated after every time. None of them compared to his Waterbender. None of them ever could. He would simply have them use their mouth or hands to sate him. He found it easier to deal with his ache that way.

His heart thudded in anticipation, for the ship would be landing in less than an hour. There were a couple of other Fire Navy ships in the harbor, so his wouldn't raise too much attention. Mentat was a supply place for the ships along with bring a merchant hub, and the city welcomed the gold that the soldiers spent. He was thankful that it was here and not some other city Katara was at. His men could blend better here. His grip on the railing tightened as he stared out at the city.

_I'm coming for you, my bride._

He missed Katara so much that at times, it actually hurt. Only her presence and comfort could ease that pain.


	2. 01

**Volcano**

Chapter 01

o0o0o0o

The Avatar and Katara were simply walking down the beach silently, his hand wrapped around her own. The twilight sky gave the beach a certain light that made it seem mysterious and romantic, and Aang was definitely in that mood. His hand squeezed hers gently before he placed a light kiss on her cheek, and he smiled when she looked up at him.

Now that he was fifteen, he had shot up until he was a few inches taller than she was, and he no longer felt like a little boy even though he maintained his sweet and playful personality. He often made Katara laugh, and it was beautiful to hear her and know that he was the one making her smile. He always tried to keep her close, especially after what they had been through. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close as they strolled along the beach and docks, and smiled when he felt her head lean on him.

His arm around her shoulder brought Katara reassurance and comfort and she smiled to herself. She didn't know what she would do without Aang's sweet personality to keep her spirits up. Whenever she was feeling sad or melancholy, he was always there with a smile or a hug or a little trick or joke to make her laugh.

When he had kissed her cheek, she couldn't help but smile. His kisses and touches were always so tender and gentle, and he had never been rough or firm with her. Unlike Zuko… no, the Fire Lord had never been abusive to her but he could be very passionate and fierce, and Aang had never come close to that level.

She blinked and blushed, mentally scolding herself. Why was she thinking of Zuko _again?_ She was with Aang, and had not seen the Fire Lord since witnessing his Agni Kai. Yet at times like this, the young Firebender often came to her thoughts unbidden, as if competing with her memories of Aang inside of her head. It frustrated her at times how she just couldn't forget him and how his memory was sharply clear to her even after two years.

_I'm with Aang!_ she berated herself, feeling his presence at her side. Aang had never branded her, never locked her up in a room, never imprisoned her friends, and never paraded her around like a doll in front of the Fire Nation nobles. She was better off here with the Avatar, enjoying her freedom and traveling across the world!

And yet Zuko invaded her thoughts again when she paused to stare out at the sunset. She remembered when she and Zuko would stand out on the deck of his ship and watch the sun go down and the stars come out, and he would keep his arms around her middle and hold her close, not saying anything. She had enjoyed these quiet moments with the scarred young man and actually missed them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Aang whispered into her ear, his arm sliding down to wrap around her waist as they stared out at the rainbow colors of the sky and its reflection on the ocean.

"Hmm." Katara whispered with a nod.

"But it's not as beautiful as you." Aang whispered as he kissed the side of her face. She smiled faintly, thoughts of Zuko banished – at least for the moment.

o0o0o0o

The ruler of the Fire Nation remained on the ship, knowing that his scar would bring him attention and recognition even though he was very itchy to get off the vessel. Katara was somewhere out there, and he wanted to swoop out of the ship and sweep her into his arms!

However, he had sent quite a few of his men to track Katara's whereabouts and see where she and Aang were staying for the night and to keep them there. These men were disguised in plainclothes so they were marked as ordinary Fire Nation citizens and businessmen.

If Katara got away one more time, he would scream. How many people had he sent after them that had always reported failure? Before, he had considered making an announcement through the Nation that she was wanted, including putting up posters of her and posting rewards, but that would have caused too much trouble. People would have fought each other and possibly hurt Katara for the bounty, and with so many people looking for her, doubtless the Waterbender would force herself in hiding. And who knew how she might be handled? He did not relish the idea of someone capturing her and shuttling her from dungeons or jail cells and bringing her to him in a cage. Definitely not how he wanted to get reacquainted with her.

So, he went to hiring individuals to contact, try to convince her to come back to the Fire Nation, and even to being her back by force. The last person he had hired was Jun and she had failed again, although she said that the Avatar had intervened – popping out of seemingly nowhere – when she had been so close to claiming the girl, who had been alone. Most of the others reported the same. And if it wasn't the child, Katara herself would get away somehow, always. She was resilient and quick, and aided by the Avatar, she was very elusive, indeed.

The child was her protector, and he was the reason that Zuko's bed was empty.

_Damn you, Avatar. Keeping me from what is mine!_

_Don't be afraid of me, Katara. Don't run away from the man who needs you so desperately!_

He sat in his chair, drinking a small amount of fire-whisky, staring out the window as he impatiently counted the minutes until he could execute his part of the plan.

o0o0o0o

Katara had taken off her shoes and the sand felt good under her feet. Out at the docks, she could see a few Fire Nation ships and could not help but feel wary, but Aang's presence helped to comfort her somewhat. They had been here in Mentat for a few days and no one had come after them. None of the Fire Nation soldiers they had seen ever made any threatening moves towards her or Aang even though she was wary of them and made sure not to get too close to them or let them see her face too visibly. There were just too many memories, and she could feel the Avatar tense up as well. His memories of what the Fire Nation had done to him pained him just as her own pained her.

To her, the Fire Nation meant confinement and slavery. In Sozun, she had always be shut away in Zuko's rooms or if she was out, she was always accompanied by him, never being able to do anything she wanted – like walking barefoot along the beach for instance. Or strolling along forest paths, or gliding through the sky with Aang.

When they came back to the docks, she slipped on her shoes and took his hand, letting him help her up the steps. It was now dark, but the city was still very busy and the establishments and stalls were open.

They strolled along the main street, taking in all the sights and people, unaware that they were being observed and followed by a few people. Aang kept her close at all times, whether with his arm around her shoulder, hooking his arm through hers, or simply holding her hand – he was very sweet and protective of her and she really appreciated that, though she did find his constant contact to be irritating at times. He had saved her a few times from the people that Zuko sent after her and she would always be grateful for that, but she had to admit that at times she sometimes felt smothered by him.

They walked past the stalls, taking a meandering walk back to the inn they were staying at. The light blue shirt he wore under his pale yellow jacket made his light grey eyes take on a blue tint. She squeezed his hand before going over to one of the stalls, catching the scent of spices. She felt the rumble of hunger in her stomach and knew he had to be hungry too.

"Why don't you look at that stall over there…" she said, pointing to one nearby that had curios in it, "while I take care of dinner?" she asked. Aang nodded, although he seemed very reluctant to let go of her hand.

She went over to one of the larger stalls and after a quick look at the menu, ordered some food to go. She stood there, her arms loosely crossed, watching as it was prepared on the outdoor stove. She paid for it after it was handed to her wrapped up in paper. She tucked the bag under her arm before Aang joined her. He had clearly been watching her and waiting for her to be done.

They walked back to the inn in silence. She kept her hands firmly around the package even though she only needed one hand to carry it, because she honestly wasn't in the mood for more hand-holding. It was something she has never cared for much.

o0o0o0o

Most of the Fire Lord's men stayed in Mentat near Aang and Katara, but one came back to report to him. He had almost set the man on fire when he heard of how Aang had wrapped his arm around Katara's middle, or how he had kissed her or constantly remained in physical contact with her. Was the child always like that? What did Katara think of that? She had never been the clingy sort of person, which made her right for him. She had welcomed his gestures of affection and reciprocated with her own, but there had been times when he would give her space and she would give him his, especially when she had sensed he was in a prickly mood. It was just one of many ways that she was the right one for him. Even after not seeing her for so long, he was sure of his decision.

"Get the troops ready. We move in now." the Fire Lord stated as he got up off his chair.

o0o0o0o

The inn room they were staying in was inexpensive but comfortable, with a large mat and the appropriate bedding and a folding screen as well as a table and two chairs and even a little fireplace. Another door led to a small washroom, and they had been living here comfortably the last couple of days while Appa remained outside, housed securely in a barn on the property.

Katara didn't mind camping, but once in a while it was just nice to stay in a warm inn, especially as it was still winter and the nights were long and cold.

Sitting down at the table, she opened the bag and removed its contents as Momo bounded about, sniffing at the items and picking up one of the smaller wrapped objects, peering at it curiously. The young Waterbender smiled before unwrapping them and setting them out, laying out a pair of chopsticks for Aang as he lit the fireplace with the bit of Firebending he knew. There was a variety of things here including egg rolls, dumplings, rice among other things. The Avatar sat down and started to dig in and she joined him. Neither of them had lunch, and they were hungry.

When they were done, she had something extra for him, for when she saw what the stall had in the way of treats, she couldn't resist. There was still one unwrapped package and she peeled back the light wrapping paper, seeing Aang's reaction. Inside was an egg custard tart.

As she expected, Aang's eyes gleamed with delight and he was like a little boy, his eyes widening and his mouth opening into a happy grin as she set it down in front of him. It was as if he was twelve again, or even younger, and seeing him like that brought a small smile to her face.

As he savored his tart, she went to the washroom. There was no bathtub, but there was a basin and she pumped out some water and washed herself by using her Bending abilities after laying out a towel and sitting on it.

"Let me do that for you." she heard a soft voice say and looked up to see Aang. He sat beside her and took the water into his own control. She was about to argue and insist that she could wash herself but she fell silent, knowing that if she tried to object, Aang would simply insist. She had felt very shy about this at first, but the Avatar was always so gentle. It was something he had started doing for her after they became lovers.

Aang guided the water over her body, watching it move over her smooth tanned skin and soft curves with a smile on his face. He always felt lost when she was not near and while he was her lover, he sometimes felt like a child needing her attention or affection. That was always why he liked to keep her close, to hold her hand or have his arm around her or at least have her within his reach or range of vision.

After his ordeal in the Fire Nation, he was quick to try to forget, and he didn't like being alone, because that was when he would think about said events and have nightmares. After he, Katara, and Sokka had made it to the South Pole, he hadn't wanted to even _think_ about being the Avatar. It was what had landed him in the previous Fire Lord's clutches, after all. For several months he simply lived as a villager, rarely Bending and becoming part of the Water Tribe. He had even stopped shaving his head, and was content to be a part of this life far removed from the Fire Nation.

It had been a nice few months, but just because Zuko wanted peace didn't mean it was going to happen right away. There were still pockets of conflicts here and there, and it was Katara who had convinced him to take up the mantle of Avatar again and go help the world. He had agreed, on one condition. He wanted her to go with him. The agreement hadn't been forever per se, but he found ways to keep her at his side. Away from the watchful eyes of Hakoda and Sokka, he was able to act on his feelings for her, feelings he had had ever since he saw her face when he woke up from the ice.

With her as his companion, he didn't have so many nightmares and he felt better about himself, especially when she would comfort him from said bad dreams. And around her he could just be himself, not the Avatar. It didn't matter that he was supposed to be the savior of the world, he was still a human being. He gently ran his fingers along her arms, feeling her shudder slightly.

"You can go now." she whispered. He frowned slightly, but backed out of the room. There were times where she would be aloof to him. Never rude or cruel, but her thoughts would sometimes be in an entirely different place, and she remained mum about it despite his questions.

Katara stood in front of the window, combing and then braiding back her hair. She was dressed in a light blue robe and pants, both gifts from Aang for her birthday. He was in bed, shirtless and wearing loose pants and waiting for her. Despite his taller and more muscular physique, he still had the same soft face and bald head – he shaved regularly again after they had left the Tribe.

As she started to turn away from the window, she paused, looking through the glass and seeing Fire Nation soldiers. She swallowed dryly. She knew they were allowed in Mentat, but she could not help but feel nervous every time she saw them. Aang sat up, seeing her reaction to whatever was outside the window.

"What's wrong, Katara?" he asked and she sighed softly.

"There's just a few Fire Nation soldiers outside. Every time I see them I can't help but think of…"

"Come away from the window, Katara. It will be okay."

"I can't help it, every time I see one of them…"

"I know. But you're safe now." His tone was patient and reassuring. She closed the curtain and crawled onto the mat, the small fire in the hearth casting the room into comfortable shadows. She felt Aang snuggle closer to her.

"I'm glad you liked the tart." she said softly. Aang smiled and kissed her cheek. He brushed away a few loose strands of hair from her face and looked down at her.

"We'll go back to Omashu after we're done here. I mastered all the moves in the scroll Bumi gave me and we need more money. And maybe we can stay longer this time…I mean, no one has come after us for a couple of months, and I'm sure the Fire Lord's 'invitation' is no longer valid." The last time they had been in Omashu – nearly a year ago – Bumi had been grim-faced, showing them a document signed by the Fire Lord himself inviting them to come to the Fire Nation. It seemed innocent enough, but the letter had been worded as such in a way that sent shivers up Katara's spine. If she went to the Fire Nation as a guest, she would be stuck as the Fire Lord's concubine. Not only that, but Bumi was to 'help' them on their way. It was clear what would happen if Bumi failed to 'help'. The letter had been sent a couple of months ago, and Katara wondered if copies of this had been sent to other places. She hated to admit it, but it was a clever move. Considerably more subtle than a bounty placed on her head, to be sure.

Rather than stay any longer in Omashu and put Bumi in danger, they had simply fled.

"Maybe Zuko has given up." Katara said quietly, although deep inside, she knew it wasn't true. He was probably trying a new strategy, perhaps to lull her into a sense of peace. That wouldn't surprise her at all, because Zuko was not one to do the same thing for too long if it wasn't getting results.

"Let's hope so."

"I don't know. Maybe he has something up his sleeve. I wonder if I should just turn myself in to him and end all of this…"

"No! Don't talk that way! I will always keep you safe, you don't deserve to go back there. It's a terrible place!" Aang said vehemently. She fell silent. He knew she had been Zuko's prisoner and concubine but nothing else, She never told him what Zuko was like because she didn't wish to speak of him, so he had formed his own assumptions of her servitude to the former Prince. Of course, she knew that the Avatar had been treated far worse, so she didn't argue.

"I love you." Aang whispered. She smiled a little before she dozed off peacefully as he wrapped an arm around her middle. He looked down at her quietly. Her robe was loose, and as she lay on her side it slipped down a little, revealing the top of her breast. He could see the scar there, the one that Zuko had branded her with. Every time he saw that mark, he was more determined to keep her from the Fire Lord.

He had thought Zuko was noble when he did the Blue Spirit, but seeing how he had hurt Katara hardened him against the Fire Lord. How could anyone brand someone like that? It was because of that and Katara's refusal to talk about her concubinage that he imagined that Zuko was brutal with Katara, hitting her, beating her, raping her and what not. After all, Ozai had been cruel to him, and if his son had burned Katara, what would stop him from hurting her more?

Katara didn't deserve to go back to Sozun and he was determined to make it stop. Staying in Omashu would be a nice break from the constant traveling and give her some stability and a place to rest and be happy, Bumi was a good host and friend. He looked down at her with a small smile as he tucked the comforter under her chin and dozed off, feeling her warm breath on his bare shoulder. He intended to never let go, not knowing that another man had the exact same intention.

o0o0o0o

The sound of the lock on the door rattling brought them out of their slumber. Katara moaned softly as she heard the sound, rolling over onto her back. Much of the fire had gone out and there was barely any glow in the room. When the lock rattled again, she sat up as Aang stirred.

Her eyes widened when she saw a glow between the door and the frame, cutting through the darkness with a very thin but searing red and gold line. She was already on her feet by the time the lock melted, and the Avatar was close behind. The door swung open, and Aang's arms wrapped around her, pulling her back.

A couple of men entered, weapons at the ready, but they made no move to attack the Avatar or the Waterbender, and moved aside to admit someone else into the room.

The person who walked in was clearly a Firebender, with his right hand extended from his body, cupping a flame. His armor was black, with a fire design along the breastplate, and the flame in his hand danced along the polished armor and goldwork. The edges of the armor were polished brass, and it was not armor she had ever seen on any Fire Nation man.

Her eyes slowly moved up his body until she saw the face, and she gave out a soft cry of surprise. There was no mistaking that scar.

"Zuko." she whispered, feeling the Avatar pull her back until both of them were pressed against the wall opposite the door. She whimpered as she heard more footsteps. More figures came into the room, clad in black armor with the skull-masks she was familiar with except these had a sharper and somewhat more ominous design. Her gut feeling about seeing Fire Nation soldiers had been right, and she felt her stomach churn a little. She hoped that they might be able to reach Appa. Could she or Aang break the window and jump through it in time?

Her eyes moved from the soldiers back to the Fire Lord, blue eyes meeting golden ones. He looked regal in his black armor, and in the semidarkness she could see that Zuko had grown out his hair. His features were slightly more sharp and mature and if anything he…actually looked very handsome. Though his expression was hard, his eyes were devoid of the cruelty that had been so apparent in his sire's gaze.

The Fire Lord looked down at the pair. He wasn't surprised that the Avatar had his arms around Katara, but that didn't lessen his anger. He stared into the Waterbender's eyes for a moment, feeling reassured upon seeing them again after so long. They were as blue as ever, set amidst a face that had only grew lovelier as it matured. Right now these eyes were filled with fear and apprehension, and he shook his head in silent response, taking a step forward.

"Come here." Zuko said quietly, keeping his eyes on the Water Tribe woman. She shook her head slowly and the boy held onto her even more tightly. He could see that the child was inching both of them towards the window. He hadn't been expecting Katara to be too happy to see him, but he had wanted to at least offer her a chance to come quietly.

"You've taken something that belongs to me, Avatar. However, I do not desire violence. Give her up quietly, and I will leave you in peace." Zuko said coldly as he fixed his golden eyes on the boy. Aang simply narrowed his eyes, and the Firebender held back a sigh before looking at the only other unmasked soldier in the party. Katara stared at this man for a fleeting moment, trying to remember just who he was. She knew she had seen that face before.

"Sylid? Separate them."

"As you wish, my lord." the man said as he and several of the others strode to the couple, stepping onto the bed without a care and trampling the blankets with mud. With his mouth, Aang blew a gust of wind at them. The men staggered back, but the Sylid responded with a blast of fire that neutralized the air, causing sparks to fly around the room. There was no earth or water for him to bend and his Firebending skills were minimal.

Sylid motioned with his hands and the soldiers advanced again, grabbing the Avatar and the Waterbender and dragging them apart expertly, bringing no harm to either of them.

"Stop struggling, child. Let the girl go – I have no wish to bring harm to you."

"No!" Aang shot back firmly, glaring at the man. He was middle-aged and gray-haired, with the sideburns that most Fire Nation men wore, but he had no other facial hair aside a thin mustache. He was of average size and build although he was in excellent shape for someone his age.

"You have done enough to her. Leave her be!" Aang cried as he tried to wrench free of the men holding him. Zuko let out a low growl, his features contorting with fury before he motioned to the other men. Another soldier came, this one carrying irons which were immediately latched onto Aang's arms, pinning his hands together behind his back so he couldn't do any Bending.

"She's coming with me and that is that." Zuko stated coolly. The soldiers that had Katara started to drag her across the floor.

"Don't hurt him!" Katara cried out as she struggled against the soldiers that held her. She started to reach out for Aang, seeing him put up a fierce struggle. The room was small and even if they had managed to break free, it would be impossible to squeeze through the door with the other soldiers standing there.

"Confiscate any personal belongings." Zuko stated. One of the soldiers went around the room to grab the few things that were there. Katara whimpered and struggled as she was placed in front of the Fire Lord, just a pace or two away.

"Let us go!" she pleaded as she stared up at her captor. He stared at her for several moments before turning to his men.

"We're leaving."

The Avatar struggled against his captors, kicking at them and Katara sobbed as she heard the Fire Lord's words.

"As you wish, my lord." The officer turned and nodded to three of the others who bound Aang even more securely by shackling his ankles, then started to carry him out the room. The Avatar had other ideas and Katara screamed and sobbed, kicking at the guards and then kicking in front of her in an attempt to kick Zuko, but he grabbed her ankle, looking down at her bare foot for a moment before he smirked a little.

"I'll save you from the Avatar, my dear." he whispered. She whimpered and tried to yank her foot away from his grip. He relented and let go. When she kicked him again, two more guards took her legs and held them. She was carried out of the room in that manner, twisting and writhing between the four men that held her limbs.

"Let me go!" she begged as she and Aang were carried out of the room, "I didn't do anything wrong, let me go!" she screamed, thinking Zuko or the guards would put punishment on her or throw her into a cell or worse. He did not respond as the soldiers carrying her began their descent down the steps.

She was crying softly as she and Aang were carried down the stairs and through the inn lobby, where the inn owner stared at the group quizzically. Katara started screaming and the Avatar struggled as well, trying to blow air at his holders before a large hand was clamped over his mouth.

"You can't do this to me! Someone help us!" Katara begged, turning her head to look at the tall and kindly man she purchased the room from.

"Go back to your business, sir." one of the soldiers said, "this is a affair of the Fire Nation."

"But what about the woman?" the man asked with concern, taking a step forward. The girl was so sweet and soft spoken it was hard to believe she had done anything wrong, and the boy had been so polite. The innkeeper blinked and stared at the girl.

"But..." he replied, risking the man's ire, "She is Water Tribe!"

"Help!" Katara cried out, trying to reach for him.

"Nothing is the matter." the officer stated calmly as he slipped a few coins on the table. The innkeeper stared at the coins for a few moments – these were gold coins and were rare. Most of the currency that passed through Mentat was copper and silver, and gold was only used for the grandest purchases. His inn was one of the most modest in the city and had nothing to offer that was so luxurious as to require gold coins.

"Please, help us!" Katara begged. The man looked at her hesitantly, feeling bad for her. A few more gold coins found their way to the counter, and the innkeeper looked down at the money for a long moment. He then slowly reached for them, tucking them into his pocket and keeping his eyes down as he heard the girl's soft sobs. The innkeeper felt bad for letting them take her – but these were the Fire Lord's soldiers and they could very well burn down his inn and the other people who slept in his rooms, or simply force him out of his establishment. His gaze remained averted from the entire party, the image of the weeping, blue-eyed girl and the cold glare of the Fire Lord burned into his mind.

Katara continued struggling as they were brought outside and she looked up at Zuko, seeing his form illuminated by the light of the almost-full moon. She didn't want to admit it – but he looked devastatingly handsome. He looked down at her and she whimpered softly.

"Please?" she begged, trying to appeal to whatever compassion he had.

"No." Zuko replied coolly as he stood there, looking so stern like he usually did.

Aang yelled and in the open space, managed to break free by making a sphere of wind around himself despite his manacles. The Fire Lord stood there, turning towards the Avatar.

Aang glared at the Fire Lord before he turned his attention to Katara. She had one soldier holding onto each of her limbs, and even then she struggled against them despite the daunting odds. His anger towards Zuko grew. The Fire Lord motioned with his hands before he stalked towards the Avatar. Even though the Avatar was shackled, he was no longer being held down so he still had a fighting chance. He wished he had his bison whistle so he could summon Appa.

"Return Katara to me." the Avatar said calmly.

"She belongs to me, Avatar."

"You have no right to do this to Katara. You have put her through more than enough. She deserves to be safe and happy with someone who _cares_ for her!" he shot back defiantly. He could have sworn that Zuko flinched just a little.

"I am taking her back with me, and should you defy me, you will find yourself in a lot of pain."

"Why are you doing this to her?" Aang demanded. By now Katara had ceased her struggles and stared at her former and current lovers.

"I am doing nothing wrong to her, that point aside it is none of your business what I do, the Fire Nation does not recognize you as any kind of authority!"

"This is Katara we're talking about! You can't take her like she's property! She's a human being like you!" he snapped back.

The Waterbender could have sworn she saw a glimmer of emotion in Zuko's eyes. She paused for a moment, hoping that Aang's statement struck home. The Firebender simply growled and came closer to the Airbender, his steps heavy and sure. Suddenly, Aang breathed in and blew out a sudden gust of wind. The Fire Lord quickly moved his hands, creating a blast of fire that rendered the gust useless before it could reach him.

"You have a temper, Avatar." Zuko said mockingly.

"What do you expect from me? To sit quietly and let you do as you please?" Aang snapped, wishing his hands were free. The night was cool and he shivered as the crisp air tickled his bare chest and arms.

"She is not yours, she is mine!" Zuko declared. The soldiers watched the duo silently and Katara stood there now, her legs free because she no longer struggled, although she was still held by her arms.

"Why don't you let Katara decide?" Aang asked, jumping away when a blast of fire came at him. Katara was about to speak when the young Firebemder snarled and created a dragon of fire before directing it at Aang. The Avatar just barely dodged it. However, the dragon wound around and slammed into him from behind, and Zuko smirked.

"Aang!" Katara cried out in alarm, but the youth appeared as if he had been knocked out. But to her relief, he stirred against the dirt and grass he was laying on. The knockout had been quick and there was only a reddening of his back, which might lead to blistering but no permanent damage.

Zuko strode over, planting one booted foot firmly on the Avatar's back before he pressed down sharply, causing the younger male to wince in pain as the heel was metal-tipped.

"You have no right to defy me or impose your edicts on me. I am the Fire Lord and my laws and commands are not subject to your own!" he whispered fiercely. Aang's eyelids fluttered open and he whimpered softly, trying to get up. But the heel of the boot shoved on his back harder, digging into the flesh.

"Should you continue to defy me, I will have to take more drastic measures. I am being pretty damned lenient right now, considering the situation!"

"Don't... hurt her!" Aang whispered, struggling under Zuko's boot.

"Whoever said I would?"

"Then... what do you need her for?" Aang said, his teeth gritted in pain, "You want to use her like you did before? That's a shitty thing to do to her. You're the Fire Lord, and that's not enough for you?" he stated. Katara felt tears come to her eyes.

The boot pressed harder as the Fire Lord's voice dropped to a harsh whisper.

"You know nothing of what I want, boy. You're not me nor did you have anything but the best things in life. A loving home, monks who cared for you, friends who would've done anything for you! Let me tell you where this burn came from… it was no accident and came because I spoke out against the previous Fire Lord because of a grave injustice. That's right, Avatar. My sire did this to me. I have more than earned her, I fought my sire and sent her away because I wanted her to be safe if I did not survive. I know that you kept her from me and for that, I could have the soldiers put you in the darkest of dungeons and torture you like my sire did!"

Aang groaned softly as Zuko's heel dug further into his bare back, and he and looked up at the Fire Lord, twisting his neck to do so.

"I am taking my lady back with me. Should you interfere again, I _will_ make you regret it. Choose wisely." he said, pressing down harder then before.

"Katara made a choice with me. I gave her one and she accepted me, unlike what you did!. You did not give her a choice. I saw her breast. That was cruel of you."

"That mark signifies her as mine. I'd suggest you show at least a bit of gratitude after what I did for you."

"She doesn't want to be yours!"

"Zuko, please stop!" Katara pleaded. She couldn't make out their whispers, but she could see Aang's face contorted in pain.

"After the way you got her to think so poorly of me, no wonder…" the Fire Lord pressed, the point on his boot digging into the spinal area hard, "but perhaps we need to take you out of the equation for her to realize that?"

"No! Please!" Katara pleaded more loudly, tears coming down her face. Zuko paused, looking up at her. Her eyes met his and he stilled, releasing the pressure just a bit. He knew that if he _did_ have the child murdered, she would never forgive him. He could not stand that, and he set his jaw.

He lifted his boot, only to lean down and give Aang a swift blow to a critical place on his neck, effectively knocking him out before he looked at the soldiers.

"Leave him here, I have what I want."

Aang lay there in the dirt, shackled and shirtless, motionless with the faint fall and rise of his back as the only sign that he was still alive. Zuko shot the Avatar one last venomous look before striding over to his men. Katara looked at him with terror, as if she expected him to harm her. She made visible efforts to back away from him as he closed in on her.

His hand went up to touch her face, and he ran his thumb along her lips. She opened her mouth and clamped down on his thumb.

The Fire Lord snarled softly and pulled his hand away, giving her a scathing glare, one that she angrily returned in kind. She kept up this glare as the soldiers started carrying her down the hill from the inn and towards the docks.

"Let me go!" she asked again as Zuko followed her, keeping in a few steps from her. Over his shoulder she saw the colonel, the man named Sylid, trying to place his face, for she knew she had seen it before. Besides the colonel, she saw a few men in regular clothes and blinked when she realized that she had seen them around the marketplace. Had these men been observing her and Aang?

"No." Zuko replied calmly, his handsome face fixed in a calm yet blank stare.

"I don't want to go back!" she pleaded as the soldiers continued carrying her.

"You have no say in that matter, Katara."

She glared at him as they approached the docks, and he simply stared back at her. She couldn't believe he was doing this to her! She had managed to evade his men for over two years, and she silently cursed him. Yet when she stared at that face she remembered the good moments they had shared. Aang had been wrong to assume that Zuko had been a cruel master, and she wondered why she hadn't corrected his assumption. Perhaps because it was just easier to not talk about Zuko.

Her feet dug into the sand and her stomach twisted as she gritted her teeth, feeling the pull of the ocean only a couple of meters away. Suddenly the soldier on her left side was hit with a splash of water, surprising him enough to let go of her. Zuko paused and motioned for the men to stop.

"Let's not start that, Katara. Stay calm. You will come to no harm, you have my word on that." he said. But it was as if she hadn't heard these words. Now that she had one arm free, she brought it up and knocked down the other man that was holding her with another violent splash of the water.

The Fire Lord seemed about to order that she be restrained when another idea came to him. She might be appeased if he spoke to her gently, as it was obvious she didn't respond well to being restrained or ordered about.

"Don't be so rash, Katara. I want you and I wish you to return with me, where you will be well-cared for. I do not want to fight you." His voice was calm and diplomatic.

The azure-eyed woman narrowed her eyes as Zuko made a signal with his hand. The men formed a large half-circle around them so she could not simply bolt off into the city. She and him were on the dock now, surrounded by sand and ocean, and she planted her feet firmly on the wood. The men were at the end and sides of the dock, spread out in a efficient line and watching her and their Lord.

"I'm not going down quietly." she said calmly, her muscles tense and ready for whatever she decided to do next.

"I realize that, but I have no wish to harm you. Please." Zuko said, his hands outstretched in front of him almost as if he was begging. Katara drew a water whip out and it floated in front of her, posed to attack. The guards stared at the pair curiously. Zuko took a fighting stance and waited for the first move.

"Give me my freedom." she whispered. He shook his head, and she frowned. _Very well then_. The whip came at him with amazing speed, but he managed to block it with a short burst of fire, although some of the water splashed on him. He smirked at her, noting her frustration as blue eyes met golden ones.

"I know it won't be easy to defeat you…" she whispered, drawing out another water whip. It circled her lazily.

"I've learned even more since my… duel with my sire. I am much more powerful now, and it would be wise for you to simply lay down your arms. I promise you no harm."

She stared at him quietly for a few moments, taking a defensive stance, the whip now moving in front of her in a slow zigzag.

"I saw the Agni Kai." she said softly. She smirked a little as she registered surprise in his features and continued, "I was most impressed."

"Then why didn't you just come back to me?"

"Because I had no wish to remain in Sozun."

"Things are better there now."

"I'm still not going back."

"I will defeat you." Zuko vowed, looking at his captive bride, "You know I am a skilled fighter."

"I don't doubt your skills…but I will still fight you."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"If you truly mean that, then let me go." she asked softly. The guards were straining to hear their whispers.

"No." Zuko replied firmly. The water whip flew at him with devastating speed from a different angle, and he was barely able to block it with a well-timed blast of fire.

The two of them slowly circled each other as she drew out a larger water whip. His own fists started to glow as he summoned fire, ready for another attack.

"Have you found a master?" Zuko asked with curiosity. She shook her head.

"I taught myself, since your father and Zhao destroyed the Northern Tribe." she said, her voice carrying no accusation, merely matter of fact.

"I know, and I am sorry for that."

"I am not holding you responsible for it." she said calmly, eying the fire that danced in front of him, "I had to create new moves myself, some inspired from Earth or Airbending."

"Interesting. Perhaps you'll show me some of these moves." Zuko replied with genuine admiration. Katara shrugged, bringing up more water until several whips moved around her body randomly. He intensified his flames and she stiffened.

"Please don't do this, Tara." he whispered. A whip shot out, hitting his shoulder before he could block. He stumbled, but didn't fall.

"Please...don't call me that." Katara whispered, fighting back her tears when she heard that name. He had whispered it so lovingly in her ear as he held her, and hearing that nickname brought back these memories.

"Why not?"

She chose to not reply, sending another whip at him. He dissipated it with fire before sending out a short blast of fire at her, trying to knock her down by sending it at her stomach. It made contact with a sharp sound, but she kept her footing.

He smirked when he saw how she kept her footing. She was strong, and truly a match for him. She looked beautiful in the moonlight and if they weren't fighting, he would take her into his arms and kiss her. Passionately. She brought up a large wave and sent it at him that he blocked with a large arc of fire. Several of the guards whistled in appreciation.

Katara growled and became more aggressive with her attacks, turning some of the water into ice and sending wave after wave at him, which he blocked with as much intensity, the two of them drawing closer and closer together as they tried to knock the other down, determined to not lose to the other.

The two of them were duly impressed by the other and even though Katara was not as refined a warrior as he, she had plenty of fire to make up for it. She kept drawing up water, striking him repeatedly in different ways, and he reciprocated in kind, blocking her with impressive displays of fire.

The guards whistled and even cheered a bit, for they had never seen anything like this! It was as if the Fire Lord and the Water Tribe woman were two sides of the same coin, both of them blurs, one of red and gold and one of blue and silver, and the attacks of the elements further intensified, fire raging against ice.

Katara was relentless in her attempts to knock him down, but somehow he always managed to remain on his feet.

"Damn you." she muttered, panting as she paused for just a moment to place her hands on her knees and catch her wind. He was more conditioned to be a warrior than she and she very well knew that.

"I already was the moment I lost you." Zuko said quietly. She slowly looked up at him as he advanced towards her and studied his face. There was that very same fire in his eyes that he had had before, and she also saw the need and passion for her. _Why the hell do you have to be so handsome?_

Before she could react, he struck out and grabbed her by her arms, placing a fierce kiss on her lips. She yelped and hit him with another water whip, driving him back a little as a few of the men catcalled.

When he staggered back, clearly dazed, she drew up even more water and waved her arms through the air wildly in swift motions, encasing him in a sphere of water she turned to ice before she paused for a moment to catch another wind. That had taken a lot out of her.

The inside of the sphere glowed and to her horror it melted quickly, leaving a somewhat wet but very determined Fire Lord who quickly cracked his neck and widened his stance, looking at her with a smirk. His power had gained during the Agni Kai with Ozai when he realized his potential and it had only grown more when Sozin's comet graced the sky, imbuing him with even more power. Melting the ice had been very little effort for him.

With rapid-fire movements, he directed small fireballs at her, aiming for her stomach and legs. She blocked with water, but not before a few of them struck their target, distracting her momentarily.

When she had regained her footing, she pooled all of her concentration, ignoring him for the moment as she summoned a massive amount of water from the sides of the pier and sent it at him. Surrounding him with water and shoving him up almost ten feet into the air, the water quickly turned into ice, encasing him in a crystalline spike, exposing only his head and the tips of his fingers.

Several of the men murmured excitedly and Sylid stood there calmly, taking in the sight. The woman was certainly impressive, and he remembered her well and her calmness and determination. He remembered attending to her after she had been injured by Zuko's would-be assassin.

Zuko growled, increasing his body temperature as he intensified his flames, melting himself free of the ice and sliding down the side of it, landing in a smooth crouch before he pulled himself back up. That was a most impressive move and he felt a twinge of pride and admiration for her. If she could use that energy _with_ him instead of against him...

She was panting, several locks of hair hanging around her face loosely in that way he adored.

"Come on." Katara whispered as he advanced towards her again, "I don't want to hurt you. Let me go!"She knew she didn't have the strength to win. He was still calm and cool while she was out of breath, but even then she was not going to surrender so fast. She would fight until she had absolutely nothing left! Her pride demanded that of her.

The young Waterbender felt the wood under her bare feet and kept her eyes on him as she tried to catch her breath and muster up more strength. She took a deep breath and tried one last desperate attack to knock him down, drawing up a burst of strength and running at him, screaming as she pulled up a water whip and hurled it at him.

Zuko quickly sidestepped her and the whip, making a fire whip of her own and quickly lashing her over the back with it, knocking her down.

She yelled as she landed on her stomach, struggling to get up. This was a humiliating way to end!

He nodded towards the soldiers and a couple of them quickly advanced and grabbed her, the colonel walking towards her. Finding a new wind, she struggled and kicked again, glaring at Zuko as the officer approached her.

"Let me go!" she screamed, trying to kick the soldiers holding her and a couple of the others whispered and smiled appreciatively, admiring her spirit. The colonel shot them a sideways glance, ignoring Katara's protests.

"Such attitudes are not becoming of the Fire Lord's elites." he stated, "Should I find the two of you looking at her that way again, I will file a complaint with the Fire Lord and insist you are both transferred to the northern regiment. Understand?"

Zuko smirked a little as he saw the men pale. He wasn't so much bothered by simple comments since the men meant them as compliments, but if he showed lenience, he might be seen as soft.

"We meant no offense!" one of the soldiers said, "But honestly, one would have to be blind to not appreciate her. The Fire Lord made a fine choice!" the man said, bowing his head, causing Zuko to smirk a little more.

"Next time, keep your comments to yourself." Sylid said stiffly, showing that they would be let off this time, "however, if you do look at her in such a way or make advances towards her you will be disciplined. Is that clear?" he asked. Zuko nodded approvingly at Sylid's words. The soldiers nodded with understanding at Sylid's words and the Fire Lord's gesture..

The Lord of the Fire Nation eyed the colonel and nodded briefly as the man pulled out a vial from a small pouch he kept on his belt. Sylid turned towards the girl. Katara kept her lips pressed together firmly, guessing at the contents of the small tube.

"You're not going to make this easy are you, my lady?" the man asked. Katara simply glared at him. He raised his hand to her mouth, forcing his finger past her lips, and she bit him. What was it with people putting their fingers on her mouth?

He almost dropped the vial, and she pressed her lips together again after he had taken his fingers out as she tried to kick him. Sylid raised his hand and lightly cuffed her on the side of her neck. When she gasped softly, he forced the liquid past her lips, placing his hand over her mouth to keep her from spitting it out. The liquid had a strange fume to it and she had inhaled it when the vial had been brought under her nose. Already whatever it was at work as she felt the fumes tickle her sinuses and lungs as she swallowed the concoction.

She moaned softly, feeling it tingle all the way down to her stomach as looked at Zuko pleadingly, her struggles slowly winding down as the drug took effect. Zuko stared as she slowly fell limp before he turned towards his colonel.

"Take her to the ship and attend to her. And Lieutenant Heit, take your squad and go into town. Make sure the Avatar is sedated and restrained, then pick up the supplies we need. Tell Ash that the mission was a success. Report back to the ship."

"Yes, my lord."

Katara whimpered softly, barely lifting her head to look at Zuko, pleading with her eyes. He looked down at her quietly. What kind of life lay ahead for her? Shut in the Palace, paraded around like a doll, being made to serve Zuko's every whim? She closed her eyes, fighting back tears. Dimly, she felt herself being carefully picked up in someone's arms, her head lolling as she opened her eyes and stared up at the sky. She could only wiggle just a bit and Zuko moved into her line of sight, blocking out the stars.

"Everything will be fine, I promise." he whispered. She whimpered and tried to speak but she couldn't, so she shook her head slightly before she closed her eyes again, succumbing to the drug fully. He walked beside her as the soldiers carried her to his ship.

He needed to take a bath, as her attacks had soaked him in salty ocean water. He could steam it off with his abilities but the salt and brine would remain and irritate his skin, and he didn't want that.

"Take care of her." Zuko said to the Colonel, "I'll be down there in a while."

o0o0o0o

When the Waterbender opened her eyes, she found herself semi-darkness, light flickering against the metal walls. For a moment, she thought she was back in the inn room with Aang. She let out a low groan, trying to sit up, but she found out that she could not. It felt as if she was weighed down, and she could barely feel her own limbs.

"Good evening, my lady." she heard someone say. The events that had transpired before she fell asleep hit her full on. Light footsteps met her ears and she looked up to see the Colonel standing over her, no longer clad in armor. He was now wearing simple red and black robes, looking much more kindly than before. He picked up her arm and checked her pulse before he nodded approvingly. She noticed she was no longer wearing her blue robe and pants. Her arm was clad in dark red!

Her arm was set down and she looked up at him again, realizing why he was familiar. He had looked so different in armor, but in robes he was a lot easier to place. This was Sylid, the man who had been the physician on Zuko's ship before! How had he become a Colonel?

Sylid left her side for a moment and returned with a glass of water. She felt several pillows being propped up under her head, and he looked down at her kindly.

"I am sorry for administering the keyjan root, but it was the only way to keep you from struggling and hurting yourself." he said as he touched the glass to her lips.

"Do not worry, this is only water. It will soothe your throat and help you feel better." he explained. She parted her lips, letting him feed the water to her as she took sips. He was right, it did help and when the water was nearly gone, her swallows were larger and she was able to move her head.

"Since you have woken up, you will be regaining control of your body shortly. Just lay there and relax."

Katara let out a soft sigh and looked down at herself, seeing her body clad in a comfortable red robe and pants. She could not help but feel a little embarrassed, knowing that this man had to have seen her body.

"Your old clothing had burn marks and sand, so I replaced them. But do not worry, I did not do anything I was not supposed to." he said kindly. The tone of his voice told her he spoke the truth. She remembered him, he had always been respectful to her before. He left her side again, but she heard noises that indicated that he was still in the room and she looked around, seeing the infirmary. It was not much different from the one she had been in before when she had been injured, and she turned her head, seeing him at a desk at work with some scrolls. The room was dark but for the lamp on Sylid's desk.

As he worked, she tested her facilities and found that she was able to wiggle her fingers and toes. Well, that was a start.

"Keep on doing that. It will stimulate the nerve endings and the rest of your body will follow." Sylid said. She continued wiggling her fingers and toes, working up to her wrists and ankles for a few minutes until she paused, taking a break and thinking about her situation. How the hell would she get out of this?

After a while, she heard heavier footsteps, and the door swung open. Sylid rose to his feet, bowing to the newcomer before he left, and these footsteps advanced towards the cot that she was laying on. The figure loomed over her, a dark silhouette against the lamplight. She didn't have to see the person to know who he was, and a shiver passed through her as she heard his voice.

"Hello, Tara."


	3. 02

**Volcano**

Chapter 02

o0o0o0o

The Fire Lord stood in the semidarkness. His black and gold armor was gone, and in its place was a thick and soft high-collared red robe. Under that robe, the Waterbender could see broad shoulders and a proud posture. His thick black hair cascaded down his shoulders and back, and she was struck for a moment with a thought of running her fingers through that thick hair. She fought a blush, scolding herself for thinking of him in such a way. This was the asshole who captured her and dragged her away from Aang. Why should she be thinking of his hair, or how – more – sexy he had become as he had aged?

After his greeting, Zuko said nothing else as he looked down at her. In the moonlight, he had looked downright handsome and if the circumstances had been different, she would have said romantic. Now under the flickering fire of the lamp… he looked scary. The shadows danced along his form, making him seem almost unreal, yet she was unable to tear her gaze away.

Hearing him say his nickname for her brought back memories, of him holding her in his arms, sharing his warmth with her and placing gentle kisses along her face as he whispered 'Tara' into her ear. She took in all of these things silently as their gazes locked. He looked so different, yet some things about him were the same – like the fire that smoldered in his golden eyes. This was the Prince she had left behind, and now he had caught up to her as Fire Lord.

She looked away, finding that she was able to move her head and neck now with little effort. To take her mind off him, she decided to test her body and saw that she was now able to shift and wiggle around as well.

"Do you hate me so much that you can't stand to look at me? It didn't take you too long to forget about me and go to _him_, did it?" Zuko asked. She refused to reply, continuing to look off at the wall. She wished she could simply just get up and run out of there.

The Fire Lord had felt himself starting to get lost in these gorgeous blue eyes of hers before she had torn her gaze away – and now she was refusing to say anything. This was Katara – his Waterbender, the woman he loved and needed more than anything. It had been a long and lonely time without her, but now she was back where she belonged... with him. He was glad she was back, but he also felt angry and hurt at her response to him. Had he been so cruel to her? Did she hate him? His thoughts went back to the tender moments they shared, remembering how she would nuzzle him or snuggle up to him, welcoming his embraces, and the conversations they had shared and the quiet moments too. Hadn't she enjoyed these?

"Well?" he demanded, wanting to draw her out of her silence. She said nothing.

"I care about you, yet you refused to come back to me and went to…_him_." Zuko said, saying the last word with such distaste as if it were a curse word.

"I was your concubine." she spat out, albeit in a low voice. She swallowed a couple more times before speaking again, still looking off at the wall, "I was just a toy to you."

"No. Don't say that." Zuko insisted softly.

"Yes, I was. And I was glad to leave Fire Nation."

"No."

"Yes." Katara said, fixing her gaze on him even as she held back a shiver. He stared back at her levelly, relieved to see these eyes of hers again.

"Then why did I take you to be my wife?" he asked. She stared at him incredulously, holding back a laugh.

"You never did. If there was a wedding, I think I would have remembered it."

"Actually I did, I marked you and that means you are mine. And as Fire Lord, if I say you are my wife, then it is so. My word is law."

"You... you have no right." she hissed softly, "I will escape. Fuck you and your law."

"Try to flee, and the Avatar will die." Zuko stated coolly, inwardly gleeful at her defiant fire. She narrowed her eyes and glared up at him.

"You cannot do this to me." she said, narrowing her eyes. He glared back at her and crossed his arms.

"And why not? You ran away from me, so therefore I am within my rights to take you, by force if necessary."

"I am not yours!" she repeated, "If I want to be with Aang, then I will!"

"Then I guess you will enjoy seeing him die." Zuko said casually if he spoke of swatting a bothersome fly. If she could have thrown herself at him, she would have.

"You cannot do this to me, Zuko. You _can't_!" she said, desperation creeping into her voice.

"I am within my rights to do so."

"I can't be your wife. I never agreed to such a thing!"

"If I had told you, you would have said no."

"Well, of course I would have said no!" she said as she placed her hand over her breast where he had placed the mark on her. Her hand shook slightly, and it had the pins and needles sensation in it as if it had fallen asleep, but she could feel the thick and just slightly raised flesh of her burn under the soft fabric of her robe. She remembered when he had burned her and how much that had hurt.

"Hence, why I did not tell you."

"You have no right to do this to Aang or me. I never said yes, so I cannot be your wife. Aang cares for me."

"I care for you." he replied firmly. She stared back at him silently.

"That's why I wanted you to be safe… in case something happened to me. You do remember that morning, don't you? What we talked about before my Agni Kai?"

She let out a soft sigh, remembering that morning and how she had felt. She had sincerely hoped that he would win and she had felt sad about the possibility that he might die.

"And that's why I came back for you."

"Even then, you shouldn't have done this. Didn't the fact that I was running away from all these bounty hunters mean anything to you?"

"It meant you were playing hard to get."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Katara said, and her glare clearly showed him that she was by no means amused.

"No it's not." Zuko said with a shrug. He eyed her curiously as she tried to get up. With some effort, she brought her legs over to the side of the bed and placed her feet on the floor, trying to pull herself up. He stood there silently, admiring her efforts to overcome the drug.

"You need to rest." Zuko said with some concern, "Would you like some water?"

She ignored him and shakily pulled herself up, looking as if she might fall over.

"I want out of here."

"No."

"I want out of here!" she repeated firmly as she took a tiny step, wobbling just a bit but keeping her balance. Both of her feet had the pins and needles feeling so it was hard to keep herself completely steady. She took another tiny step, her eyes filled with the fire that he admired.

"You will rest." Zuko said firmly, "The ship has already left the dock. It is almost morning." he said as he reached out, wrapping his arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall.

"Let me go!" she struggled, albeit weakly.

"No." Zuko replied softly. Katara protested as she was pushed back onto the cot gently, and she glared up at him.

"I don't want to be here! I don't want to be with you! I want my freedom!" she protested as he held her down gently, keeping her in a sitting position, "I hate it in Sozun. I refuse to go back there!"

"Things have changed there. You are coming with me, whether you want to or not."

"So you don't care what I want? As long as your bed is warm?" she shot back bitterly. He flinched. She had hated living there and living like that.. Aang had been so much better, the Avatar had never treated her like a concubine, and she loved the freedom of traveling, where she wasn't looked down at or shut up or paraded around. She sighed and crossed her arms, looking away.

"I need and desire you more than ever. You might think this is impossible, but believe me, my feelings for you haven't changed. You're the only woman I have eyes for. You wouldn't come back to me, so I had to come for you. It's that simple. I don't want to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. Please understand that."

She eyed him warily as he continued speaking.

"My need is of the fire, Katara. It is all consuming and possessive." he whispered.

That was what she was afraid of. She was afraid she might burn up in his arms, or if not his arms, the Fire Nation itself. She gasped softly when he looked at her hungrily and she scooted away from him. He grabbed and picked her up, causing her to struggle against him, but his grip was as she expected it – strong. And a secret part of her enjoyed being in his embrace as he carried her. She could feel the wonderful warmth of his body and feel his strong arms carry her body gently.

This ship was different from the one she had been on before, and she guessed it was bigger. This vessel seemed more posh compared to the more spartan one she had lived on before and he set her down but for a moment, holding onto her with one arm as he opened the door to a suite.

He closed the door and carried her to a large and comfortable looking bed. On his old ship, it had merely been a mat on the floor. Here, it was a proper bed, with metal posts that were riveted to the ceiling and floor, holding in a thick mattress and a comfortable array of pillows and blankets. Zuko gently deposited her on the bed and she looked up at him.

"I am not…" she cried out, thinking he would take her right then and there. He hid a smirk. He had missed her fire. But he would set a few things straight with her.

"You bear my mark on you and yet you disregarded all that it meant in favor of him. Do you know what happens to women that are not faithful to their masters?" he asked, cutting her off.

"Fire Nation law, as you know, favors men. We can do anything we want with these women who refuse to obey us. In the past, such women have been given burns or scars that disfigured them, they have been executed or imprisoned, they have been exiled or thrown out of the household with nothing but the clothes on their backs, or even given to new husbands who were really more like owners and would mistreat them. I could do anything I wanted with you." Zuko whispered. She stiffened, her heart pounding.

"I could brand you again, Katara. Perhaps on your other breast, or your neck. Or maybe your inner thigh?" he asked. She stifled a whimper.

"I could keep you chained or leashed to my bed or wherever else I decided. I could lock you up in a room and take you whenever I wanted."

"Zuko, please…" Katara whispered, fighting back tears.

"When I swore I would find you, I meant it." he whispered. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead, "But like I said before, I have no desire to hurt you. I didn't come after you just so I could punish or harm you. I'm not going to do any of that, because I honestly don't want to. Don't be afraid of me, Katara." he asked. She closed her eyes and gave out a quiet moan of relief.

"But you are forbidden from having contact with the Avatar or anyone bearing news about him. You will never be with him again. You are mine, and have always been." Zuko stated. She looked at him pleadingly.

"I can't be your wife."

The Fire Lord looked down at her and reached out to loosen her robe, baring her breast. He ran his fingers across the mark reverently.

"I couldn't tell you before. It was too dangerous and I knew that you were upset with me because I was taking the Avatar back to my sire, so I simply let you think the mark meant one of possession. But it is much more than that, Katara. Concubines aren't branded. And I branded you with my own personal mark, with my own hand."

She drew away from him, trying to close her robe, but he shook her head and pulled her back.

"This mark means a whole lot more than you think, Tara." he said quietly, "My decision to mark you wasn't as rash as you think. I had been considering it for a long while before that."

She looked down at the fingers lightly caressing the mark and back up at him.

"Agni himself placed his mark on the only woman he had ever cared about." Zuko explained quietly as he stared into her eyes, "He marked her and with his touch, she became his and his alone. His mark protected her, and she cared for him too. He gave her the mark with his own hand, and when she died, she joined him in the Spirit Realm as his consort, to be with him forever."

"Oh." she said quietly. Zuko didn't speak for a few moments, letting his story sink in.

_He'd been thinking about this before he did it?_ she wondered as she looked down at her mark, gingerly touching it and feeling the smooth and tough skin. She sighed softly and Zuko stroked her cheek.

"As my consort, it is your duty to advise me and give me your advice when I require it. You are to provide me with an heir, though I certainly won't be making that demand too soon. You are to give me solace whenever I ask of it. You attend functions with me and you are the head of the household and manage the servants. Your loyalties rest solely with me in and out of bed. In short, you serve me and give me whatever I ask for… You would be my first and only wife."

"I don't want to go back to Fire Nation." Katara said simply. Being a consort sounded... like being a servant, there only to serve Zuko's needs and whims. What about her own?

"That's where you are going, back with me and that is that. I gave my word I would be back for you."

"There's plenty of other women better than me!" Katara protested, "What could I ever do for you?"

"Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Believe me I tried _that_, they do not do you justice. Every time I had a woman brought to me I only got frustrated. All I could see was you, your eyes, your voice, your hair, your beautiful dark skin!_ I want you and only you, Katara!_" His vehement tone caused her to flinch.

"As for the Avatar… he had no right nor any claim to you. Therefore, what he did was stealing."

"There. Stealing. As if I was a thing he stole. Is that all I am? A thing, to be branded, to be kept, to be used for whatever needs you have at any given moment?"

"Alright then, let's call it kidnapping. A kidnapping of the Royal Consort." he said, smirking, "which is far more serious and requires a heavier punishment."

"He did not kidnap me and you know it. You're such a pompous ass. Assuming that everything is my fault or Aang's, not taking any responsibility for yourself!"

"And what should I take responsibility for hmm? If anything, I did nothing wrong in this scenario. I've saved that boy _twice_ and he repays me with this!"

"Treating me like property is wrong." Katara shot back, "Do you have any fucking idea how I felt when you paraded me around in front of your father and the courtiers?" she asked, fighting back tears, looking down so he couldn't see her watering eyes, "Like I was nothing more than some pretty doll! Is it any wonder I don't want to go back?"

His eyes narrowed and he grabbed her and shook her slightly, making her look back up at him.

"Do you want to know what my claim means? It means we are married until death us do part and _beyond_! You should be grateful that things have changed, otherwise I'd be dead and your precious Avatar would've been hunted down by the very same nation that I now rule!"

Tears started falling down her face.

"As for parading you… I did it to protect you from my father. You have no idea how it felt having to make sure everything was perfect for _him_ while worrying about how you would wind up dead if he suspected of his son's feelings towards you!" he added glaring at her, "You think you've suffered? Bah, you've not suffered. You didn't lose your mother to an abusive father, you didn't wind up getting banished because of trying to do the right thing and you certainly didn't wind up having to kill your own sire!"

Katara sighed and looked down. She knew he hadn't had an easy life but at least now he was Fire Lord. What about her? Would she continue to be paraded around in front of others? Be cloistered in the Palace with no real life of her own? She hated life at the court and had no desire to live there.

"You are my Waterbender, the perfect opposite to me, the balancing force to my fire. Merely because you are at my side does not mean you will be paraded around like that, not anymore."

"I never thought you saw me as anything more than a concubine. The idea of spending the rest of my life in Court terrifies me. I don't want to live with everyone looking down at me because of my heritage." Tears fell down her face, "I want to be safe."

"There are others aside from me who don't, you know Sylid? He refers to you as a true lady. And of course, my uncle. And there are others. Remember Jee?" he said. She sighed softly and looked down, wiping her tears.

"Come on, don't be like that. This is a new opportunity." he said, trying to cajole her.

"So...what's my punishment? Just go ahead and give it to me." she sighed softly as she looked down at her hands.

"You will not be allowed to leave my apartments unless you are with me, and you will be placed under heavy guard at all times to ensure that you do not attempt to escape or harm yourself. You will see nobody without my permission."

"And how long will that be?" she asked softly. Weeks? Months? _Years?_ Oh, she hoped it wasn't the latter. He smirked and lowered his head slightly, letting his voice come to her in a whisper.

"That…all depends on you, Katara. The sooner you show your loyalty to me, the shorter that punishment will be."

She looked up at him silently for a moment and then looked down again, feeling a tear slide down her cheek.

"Don't cry, Katara." Zuko whispered as he kissed away the tear and then pressed his lips to her own. As much as she hated to admit it, his kiss felt and tasted good.

"You say I am to serve your needs... what about mine?"

"I would provide everything for you, Tara." Zuko said gently, stroking her cheek, "You would be clothed, fed, kept warm, entertained, have servants to do your bidding… I would also provide you with academic and martial arts lessons. You would share my bed and as you would provide me with comfort, and I would provide you with it too."

"No. No. I cannot do this." she said, backing away from him, "My dream was to be married to someone that I love, someone who loved me in return. My dream was to have the special man court me and then ask me if he could have my hand and I would have decided on it. And then we would choose our own place to live together and we would both keep each other safe and happy!"

Zuko sighed softly, looking at her almost like a lost little boy. She was startled by that expression.

"And what if I am that person?" he asked quietly. She quickly looked down at the blankets.

"Would that be so wrong? To be with me? I care about you. Otherwise I wouldn't have tried so hard to bring you back."

"You can't do this to me." she said quietly, using her sleeve to wipe at her tears and he pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"I wouldn't if you didn't fight me on this."

"I don't want to be here or in Sozun! Let me go!" she tried to push him away but he held firm, nuzzling her neck and inhaling the scent of her flesh.

"No, I will not and I never will again. Your place is at my side. Consent now, it will make things easier for us." Zuko stated. She narrowed her eyes at him before crossing her arms and fuming. He would not listen to her no matter what she said! She belonged to nobody and could bed with whomever she wanted!

He stalked over to the window, looking out at the deck and ocean.

"That child is nothing but a thorn at my side. He is worth nothing to me now!"

Katara whimpered and climbed off his bed, approaching him hesitantly.

"Please...don't."

"And why shouldn't I? He's brought me nothing but trouble…" he said looking out at the water, "It was my great-grandfather's obsession with him that started the War. It was my father's obsession with him that led to my banishment not to mention my being burned. It is the Avatar who took you away from me and it is the Avatar who sticks his nose in where it does not belong, supposedly to make the world a better place."

Katara paused and stared at him, studying his silhouette against the window.

"That isn't true." she said softly.

"Where was your precious Avatar when my mother was killed? Where was he when the Earth Nation first attacked us over a century ago? Or when Sozin first started the war for conquest? Where was he when I worked to end the war?" he demanded, "He was nowhere, because he is nothing but a little boy playing at being a man! He does not deserve to even be alive for all the pain he has caused by either not being around or by forcing his views on others."

"He was frozen in the iceberg before Sozin started the war." she replied calmly.

"A likely story." Zuko said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It's true. You know why? Because it was me who found him in the iceberg. If it wasn't for me, you would still be searching. You would not even be Fire Lord right now!"

"Ohh yes, a Fire Lord. I thank you for that, Katara, waking him up." Zuko said with a small smirk that she could not read. "But that doesn't excuse him for all the trouble!" he added.

"Don't you blame him for your problems! I know it's easy for you to... but please don't. I could blame him for the Fire Nation killing my mother. But I don't." She turned away, feeling fresh tears struggle to break out. "You can choose to blame Aang for everything that has ever happened, but you know you are wrong..." she said quietly, turning away from him, "He has his heart in the right place. He would have helped you and me if he could. He suffered greatly at the hands of your father…" Katara said, remembering when Aang would wake up from the nightmares, crying, "And you had been sending your people after us, he had every right to be defensive of himself and of me. And what you just did tonight isn't helping any."

"I had every right to come back for you."

"I know you have been through a lot and so have I." she said quietly as she looked out the window, placing a hand on it lightly, longing to feel a breeze on her face.

"The Avatar at least has some semblance of family, Iroh is all I had. But now I have you too."

"No he doesn't. All the monks are dead and Sokka remained at the South Pole. I am all that he has." She turned her face upwards to the night sky, trying to quell the raging emotions inside of her. She was angry with him, yet at the same time she had missed him so much. Why couldn't she decide on her emotions for Zuko? Part of her wanted to shun him, but she also yearned for him.

"I am weary of fighting with you, but I am not going to let the best thing in my life walk away from me, not this time."

Katara said nothing, holding back a sob as she leaned her forehead against the glass, finding a small relief from the cool surface. She closed her eyes as she felt him wrap an arm around her waist, but she still kept her forehead against the glass.

"Please don't make me go back to Sozun." she begged quietly.

"Things have changed there." Zuko whispered reassuringly, placing a light kiss on the side of her face.

"I don't like it there. Too warm. Too many people. I am uncomfortable there."

"There's nothing wrong with being warm, and there's plenty of places you can be alone. Surely you remember the gardens." He sighed softly. "You refused to come back to me on your own. You are not a slave or a prisoner. You will have it very good and be cared for and cherished, yet you refuse to see the good I can and will do for you." he replied firmly. She fixed her eyes on the ocean as a tear came down her cheek.

"You don't understand. I don't want to go back there! It scares me!"

"There's no one who can hurt you anymore." Zuko said, trying to reassure her.

"It's not that! It's just... forget it." He didn't care what she thought, he wasn't giving her a choice, he didn't understand. As long as his bed was warm, what did what she wanted matter?

"The problem with you is you do not think of it as home. You think of it as everything you hate. You weren't banished from your home to live aboard a ship and sent onto a quest that you might have never accomplished. You didn't have an abusive father. Your life was good! And I want to give you a better life! With me!"

"Please, let's not compare hardships." Katara said quietly, "How about seeing your mother killed by Fire Nation soldiers? Living in a poor little village where survival is a day to day struggle? Traveling with the Avatar while you were on my tail, thinking that you might kill me? Living in Sozun where I thought your father or the other nobles would rape or kill me at any time and always looking over my shoulder and living under that crushing fear? And knowing that my best friend was much worse off than me?"

"It's all over. I let him go before the Agni Kai, just like I did for you. I risked my life to save him, because if I had been caught..." He shook his head. Dear Agni, if he had been captured by the Imperial Guard, it would have been over. Just like that. "Just let go and live with knowing you caught my eye… the eye of the Fire Lord and so much so that you are more then a concubine, you are my consort and queen, Katara."

She paused and slowly looked over her shoulder at him, their face mere inches apart. She could not help but shiver a little as she saw these golden eyes, eyes that she had seen so often in her dreams since she had left him. As their eyes met, he pulled her to him and kissed her full on the mouth, his actions and his kiss full of passion, lust, desire and... something more.

Katara whimpered softly, allowing herself to melt into the kiss. Aang had never shown such passion… yes, he had always been tender, but he never had such fire for her as Zuko was displaying right now or had before, and she moaned as she felt his tongue slide into her mouth. His kiss was filled with fire and as his tongue caressed hers as his arm wrapped around her waist more tightly, holding her close as she felt her pulse race. When the kiss finally broke, she whimpered softly, looking up at him, her heart pounding and a soft blush on her cheeks. She wouldn't admit it, but she had indeed missed his kisses and touches.

"I missed you." Zuko said softly, savoring the taste that lingered in his mouth and on his lips. She said nothing, blushing and looking down.

"You know I did." he whispered. She nodded, feeling his warm breath on her temple. He placed a light kiss there and nuzzled her, and she closed her eyes as the nuzzling grew fiercer. His lips descended on hers again and she whispered out his name quietly.

Zuko couldn't help but smile a little, and she moaned softly as he started pulling her across the room and back to his bed. Katara knew that if she didn't stop him, he would go much farther than this and she dug her feet onto the floor.

"No." she whimpered softly, shaking her head

"Why not?" Zuko asked.

"I...I..." she sighed, looking down, feeling his gentle grip around her waist and arm.

"There's no reason at all for us to not continue." he whispered before he kissed her again and held her close, wanting her to accept him. She looked up at him, blue eyes meeting fierce golden ones, feeling her resolve waver. Why was it that after so long, he could still inflame her with desire after such a brief period of time in his company?

Zuko kissed her hungrily, removing his grip from her arm to cup the back of her head, biting her lips lightly before moving down to her chin and throat, inhaling her scent. She shivered and blushed, looking down, trying to pull away again, but he refused to let go. She had to get away from the fire before it consumed her, and as she felt his lips all over her face and throat, she felt her body respond to his. She shivered as she heard his growl.

When he paused in his kisses, he noticed her breath coming in ragged gasps. She was blushing furiously, and her eyes were half-lidded.

"Do you wish to continue?" Zuko whispered, kissing her earlobe.

"I...I don't know..." she replied softly. Part of her wanted to give in and let him consume her completely, but another part insisted that she continue fighting him for what he had done to her. She gave out a soft whimper when she felt him guide her hand down his chest, to his stomach, and even lower, where she could feel him through the robe and pants he wore. She could tell he wanted her very badly.

The dark-skinned woman shivered and started to back away from him, but the Fire Lord kissed her fiercely, hungry for all of her, wanting to take her, to make her his and his alone once more, to remind her that he was better for her than the Avatar or any other man could ever be. He suddenly let go and she backed against the wall. He stalked over to the door to his bedroom, locking it before he turned towards her, his very stance that of a predator analyzing its prey. She stood there, too frightened to move.

"Mine." Zuko growled, looking at her with hooded eyes, his movements fluid as he closed in on her.

Even though she was very much aroused, she was still afraid and angry about what he had done and she inched along the wall, backing away from him, her heart pounding. Zuko growled softly, moving closer towards her.

"Please don't hurt me." she said meekly as he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, preventing her from moving along the wall.

"Why would I want to harm you?" he asked in a heated whisper. He lowered his head, kissing her once more with that fire she craved, pulling her into his arms, and she trembled as she felt herself give in again to his desire. Finally he broke the kiss, the two of them needing to breathe, but as he did so, he smiled at her before caressing her face. As he did, his light touch reminded her of Aang and how he would give her gentle strokes and caresses, and she turned her face away, fighting back tears as she thought of how Zuko had kept Aang pinned to the dirt.

Zuko noted this and it didn't take too long to figure out why.

"You claim to want someone to love you, but you won't even let me do that!" he growled, scowling fiercely.

"Please… don't." she whimpered.

'I am a jealous lover, and a possessive one. If I cannot have you all to myself of your own free will… then other measures will have to be taken." he hissed softly. She blinked and froze. His threat towards the Avatar was all too clear.

"Please, I'll be good." she begged. How stupid did that sound – like something a child would say to avoid a spanking?

"You don't even want to be with me, you'd rather be with..._him_." he growled, before grabbing the nearest dragon statue and hurling it at the wall where it exploded in a shower of ceramic shards, "am I not good enough for you?!" he demanded hotly. She took a step back in fear, cowering from him and the fire that burned in his voice and eyes.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, seeing him stand there with his fists clenched.

"Am I too much my sire's son to be good enough in your eyes? Is the fact that I want only you so hard for you to comprehend? Or that no other woman matches you or took away the longing I had ever since I first lay my eyes upon you?" he asked in a snarl.

When she was with Aang, Zuko was hurt. And when she was with Zuko, Aang was hurt. She sighed softly, wishing there was a easier way.

"You're not like Ozai." she whispered, trying to soothe him, "I do understand."

"No… you obviously don't, Katara." he said bitterly, "You don't understand that it is your fire, your passion your kindness and your gentle touch that I desire and thirst for! You're the only one that truly warms me. You shun me and that… that hurts far worse then even the burn my father gave me." he admitted, looking away. She could see the pain etched in his features. She didn't hate him like he thought she did. She didn't loathe or despise him or look down at him even though she might be _very_ angry with him..

"I'm sorry." she repeated softly.

"Sorry? You're sorry? I've been looking for you for a long time now, and you know how much I wanted you! Instead you keep running away from me! Well, enough is enough, Katara! I want you in my world. No one else will do. I want to lay beside you and feel fingertips caressing my face, I want to hear you sing for me and I want to kiss and hold you and know that even after a long day's rule I can come to you and find someone waiting for me with open arms. Someone who will never look at me as if I am a way to achieve good standing and power. I want someone who will simply look at me as a person and if you can't do that then... I… I don't know what I will do. I miss our tender moments together, I miss the way you would look at me when I held you or did something kind for you. You saw me as a person and understood my situation, you listened to me and even though I knew you kept trying to find ways to free your brother and the Avatar, you didn't see me as a monster. Do you see me as one now?"

Katara sighed softly and approached him hesitantly. She'd never thought he would feel this way, never realized that while she had doubts, he did too and as he looked away she gently touched his hand. He, the Fire Lord cared for her that much, no matter who she was or what nation she was from.

"I don't see you like that. I... I… do see you as a person. I'm sorry, Zuko. Yes, I am angry, but I don't want to hurt you, truly. I wouldn't wish any misfortune upon you." she said softly.

"Then stay and trust me." Zuko said softly, his expression having softened at her words. He looked down at her quietly, lifting his other arm to wrap it around her in a gentle embrace. She lay her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around his middle tightly, not wanting to let go of him.

They remained like this for a while before she slowly pulled away from him and looked up at him. He looked down at her, reaching out to gently caress her face.

"Please, just trust me, Tara." Zuko whispered. She said nothing, looking down. He slowly drew his hand away.

"Look at me." he said firmly. She still kept her gaze averted.

"Do you think so poorly of me that you cannot stand to look at me? Is that all I am, Fire Nation scum? Do all the tender and good moments we had together mean nothing to you?" he asked harshly. She stood there, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

"_Do you hate me, Katara_?" he asked more loudly. Still she stood there, her arms at her side, her head bowed, biting her lip to hold back a sob.

"Fine." Zuko growled, whipping around and leaving her there, slamming the door shut and locking it.

As he stepped away from the door, he heard the muffled sound of her fists slamming against the door before he heard sobs. The golden-eyed male sighed softly as he heard her weep. He longed to kiss away her tears, but she hated him. And he hated the Avatar for keeping her away from him. He blamed the boy for turning her against him, the Avatar had probably used his own experience as the former Fire Lord's prisoner to turn Katara against the new Fire Lord.

Zuko walked down the hall, deciding that he needed a bit of the fresh night air to calm down and think.


	4. 03

**Volcano**

Chapter 03

o0o0o0o

Katara sighed softly, looking over at the large and comfortable – and she hated to admit it, welcoming – bed, not knowing when the Fire Lord would be back. She was still very much upset and had no desire to sleep share a bed with the man who sought fit to dictate her life to his whim. That arrogant prick! Did he expect her to hop into his bed as if nothing had happened?

She had explored the suite looking for something to use to escape. There was a washroom and the bedroom itself as well as a comfortable sitting room with posh furniture like she had seen at the Palace. There were a couple of other doors, but they were locked, and she could find no weapons. She had considered breaking the window, but with what? The armchair was too large to lift much less hurl at the glass with enough force, and what would she do once the window was open? _Jump? _There was no doubt men would be waiting on the deck to catch and restrain her.

She would simply have to wait, so she decided to try to get some sleep and hope that Aang would come and rescue her. Hopefully, he could do it without being caught. She wondered how he could get close enough without being spotted. Appa would probably be shot down if he were seen.

One of the large pillows as well as a blanket was taken off the bed. To hell with Zuko. She certainly wouldn't warm his bed. She settled onto the sofa, wrapping the blanket around herself like a cocoon and getting as comfortable as she could, praying to the spirits that she would be able to get out of this. She felt exhausted from all the arguing and crying she had done.

o0o0o0o

It was barely half an hour after the Fire Lord had left Katara in his cabin that he felt sufficiently calmed down. He returned to his rooms, pausing in his steps as he saw her sleeping on his sofa, wrapped up warmly. Seeing her cocooned up like that and looking peaceful brought a small smile to his face.

During his walk, he had tried to think of the best way to convince her to accept her position and stop fighting him. Part of him knew she was right to be angry with him, since he had taken her from the life she had known, and she had been unhappy before in Sozun. The other part argued that he loved her and needed her, it wasn't as if he was taking her back so he could punish or mistreat her. She would have the best things in life and be kept in comfort and luxury at his side, why couldn't she see that? He didn't want her to hate him, and it would hurt terribly if she did.

He padded over to the sofa, ignoring the broken porcelain that littered the floor in one corner. He looked down at her and reached out to brush a loose strand of hair from her face. Just before he could, Katara's eyes fluttered open and she gave out a soft, startled cry to see him hovering over her.

"Sh. I didn't mean to startle you." Zuko whispered reassuringly. He reached out to touch her face, but she shrunk back. He stiffened a little before lowering his hand and looking down at her.

"You really hate me, don't you?" he asked quietly. Katara blinked and met his eyes for a fleeting moment before shaking her head slowly.

"You…don't?" Zuko asked, feeling hope stir in his heart.

"I'm… still very angry with you. But I don't hate you. I never did." she replied quietly. His expression softened a bit as he looked down at her. She quickly averted her gaze to the floor and snuggled into her cocoon a little more, obviously trying to hide from him.

"I'm glad you told me that." Zuko said as he reached down to her. He wanted to hold her while she slept, to have her warm body next to his. He needed to feel her snuggling up to him, wanting to share his warmth like she had done before. She moaned softly when he picked her up and mumbled something indistinctly as he felt her wiggle within the cocoon. He said nothing, carrying her over to the bed before he laid her down gently, placing a light kiss on her forehead. He stood up and started preparing for bed.

Katara's eyelids fluttered open and she stared at him silently for a few moments through half-lidded eyes. He went over to the large window, pulling the red velvet curtains closed so they could sleep comfortably without the morning daylight coming in to rouse them after such a long – and trying – night. The Fire Lord came back to the bed, removing first his boots, then his robe and shirt, and she couldn't help but stare sleepily at his very well developed chest and biceps. He had gotten taller and stronger from the Prince she remembered. When he removed the fire comb from his hair, the thick black locks fell free, framing his face, and she held back a soft gasp.

_Damn you, Zuko. Why the hell do you have to be so handsome!_ she silently cursed as she remembered the times they had shared passionate embraces, his warm and naked body pressed against her own.

Zuko smirked a little when he noticed her looking at him, the faintest of blushes creeping along her cheeks. He was tempted to take off his pants and underwear and see how she would react. But that could wait. They were both tired, and he didn't want to fight with her again.

The Fire Lord climbed onto the bed and kissed her cheek gently, starting to unwrap her from the blanket she had ensconced herself into. She shrunk back again, shaking her head.

"You will sleep better without that wrapped around you." he said gently. She moaned softly before shaking her head, trying to climb out. He would not be denied and pulled her back, shaking his own head and kissing her cheek.

"Please." she whispered sleepily, trying to pull out of his embrace.

"No. You are staying here with me."

"Don't want to. Want to go home..." she murmured as she wiggled against him, trying to find leverage to break his grip.

"Too bad." Zuko shrugged. He saw her furrow her eyebrows in displeasure, and stared back at her evenly.

There was only one lamp burning, and it was still dark, so with his muscles and his hair down he looked a lot... like Ozai, especially with the angle of his face that she was seeing, his scar hidden in the shadows. This was not something that gave any bit of comfort to the Waterbender.

"Please." she whispered. He shook his head.

"Hush now, wife. You're tired and you need your rest."

"Don't tell me... to hush." Katara tried to sound indignant as she stifled a yawn.

"Rest." he commanded, kissing her cheek.

"No." she said. Though she was tired, she managed to sound stubborn, her eyes fluttering open and shut. He smirked before kissing her again, this time on the lips. He was more forceful, biting her lip gently before he tucked her into his bed, curling up around her and holding her, ignoring the slight amount of resistance she still had as she wiggled against him.

However, as soon as Katara felt his hand on her back, she stopped. That hand went up and down her back gently, the only thing separating their flesh the soft layer of cotton that made up Katara's robe. She remembered other times he had done that, and she always relaxed and felt comforted when he did – and this time was no different.

She remembered waking up from nightmares of the Death Dragon coming after her, feeling scared. Zuko would take her into his arms and rub her back, saying nothing. Nothing needed to be said, for his gesture spoke far more than words would have. His body was warm – so warm as it always was. She found herself drawn to it, snuggling up to him as he rubbed her back, all of her resistance now gone as she let herself sink back into the warmth that she had missed for so long.

"Zuko…" she whispered very quietly, feeling his lips on her forehead as she dozed off.

"Katara." he replied back warmly, smiling a little as he felt her relax in his arms and fall asleep. He placed gentle kisses along her face, smiling to himself as he felt the warm body curled up against his. Finally, _finally_ here she was. No one else, just her. His beloved Tara.

He lay there, thinking about how satisfied he finally felt as he felt her breathing and heartbeat under his palm.

o0o0o0o

1.5 Years ASC

_He cursed silently as he received the letter from Jun. She had failed. All of them had failed, but he had such high hopes for the dark-haired bounty hunter. She had an excellent record – besides the whole incident at the abbey. In the letter, Jun described how close she had been to Katara – only the Avatar had stepped in at the last minute._

_Thanks to the child, her Shirshu had run off again. As of her mailing off the letter she had just lost the creature. The last time it had run off, after the perfume fiasco, it had been missing for a couple of weeks. She could not work without it, and was willing to try again, but not until her Shirshu oriented itself again._

_He growled in anger and balled up the letter, throwing it at the wall and setting it on fire. He had thrown off a few fireballs as well, wishing for someone to take it out on. This was turning out to be a shitty day. Meeting after meeting, and now this._

_He stood there in the empty meeting room, several chairs having been overturned in his rage._

"_Zuko?" he heard a soft voice. He growled, looking up to see his uncle. The older man bowed and entered the room without asking permission or being gestured in – he was the only one out of the entire Fire Nation who could get away with that._

"_What is it?" the Fire Lord asked with a growl. Iroh sighed softly and looked at the scorch marks on the walls and the still-burning letter on the floor._

"_I take it that Jun…didn't succeed?" he asked. His nephew's glare was his answer._

"_Forgive me for saying so Zuko… but it has been over a year. She clearly does not wish to come back here. I know you miss her and she was a very nice girl, but do you think it is such a good idea dragging her back here against her will? She would take it out on you, Zuko. She was unhappy here. You need a woman who wants to make you happy." the most trusted adviser to the Fire Lord commented. Zuko sighed softly, clenching his fists._

"_In any case, you have received…a present. It should provide a distraction." Iroh said. Zuko sighed, already guessing what it was._

_The present came in the form of a young woman around Katara's age, dressed in red silk robes. She had the black hair and ivory skin that marked her as a noble-born. Iroh had placed her in the seraglio and when Zuko went in there, she was sitting there quietly, her head bowed, her hands in her lap. The luxurious apartments that housed the concubines – nonexistent in Zuko's case – of the Fire Lord was empty save for its sole occupant. He gave her a quick glance, taking in her body language._

"_Greetings, my Lord" the woman said pleasantly, her head bowed._

"_Look at me." he commanded. The woman brought her head up gracefully. She was indeed lovely, with dark golden eyes, and he recognized her by her face although not by name._

"_What is your name?"_

"_Mihiraki, my lord."_

"_Who is your father? I assume he is the one who sent you?"_

"_Jin Hisaki, my lord. And you are correct. My honored father speaks highly of you, and offers me as a token of his esteem." she said, but she did not sound wheedling or falsely flattering. So far she hadn't offended him, which was good. This was not the first time he had been sent women, and they were all different._

_Some of them were clearly delighted to have been sent to him by their fathers or other male relatives, and they themselves hoped to be the one to be his consort. They did not care for him as a person, all they wanted was power and position. He could tell by looking at their faces, listening to them, seeing how they spoke and moved._

_The last woman had been such a one. She had been the daughter of one of his most powerful advisers – one that he barely tolerated – and the man had constantly been hinting at his daughter as a possibility for Zuko's Consort despite the Fire Lord's subtle attempts to brush off such offers. The woman, by the name of Iyashii, had the gleam in her eye that told him she hungered for the position and power that came at being one of his women and hopefully his consort. A previous Fire Lord or noble might consider her an appropriate choice for wife, but Zuko had a different set of standards._

_Despite her beauty, perfect manners and compliments, Iyashii had only been in his presence a few minutes before he reamed into her, telling her that he had no interest in women like her, and that she would never be worthy of him. He had sent her out crying. The next morning he had demoted her father as punishment for his constant attempts to foist Iyashii onto him, though that wasn't his only offense. The man's punishment was long in coming, really. It was clear that he saw his daughter as a ticket to more power. Neither of them would ever see the inside of Court again. Daughter and father alike had learned a lesson in humility and he had noticed that the noblemen were less aggressive in pushing their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, or nieces at him after that._

_Jin Hisaki was a decent man although, and his daughter so far seemed pleasant. She didn't have the power hungry gleam in her eye and he felt a little hope, a hope that he might actually have some pleasant company for tonight._

_He offered Mihiraki his hand and, she took it._

_He asked her more questions, and she had answered to his satisfaction. Her manners and pleasantness were genuine and it was clear that she just hoped that he would be nice to her. So he was kind to her, sitting her down on the bed gently. When he started kissing her face lightly, she lifted it up, giving him a small, gentle smile._

_Just like Katara had done when he would kiss along her face. He paused and drew back from her._

"_Is something wrong, my lord?" she asked with a slightly bowed head, "Is there anything you wish me to do?" she gestured to the sash that held her robe closed._

"_No." Zuko replied a bit more harshly than he had intended. Despite her sweetness and pleasant matter, he was turned off. She was not Katara._

"_Please, my lord." Miharaki begged, "I am sorry for whatever I did to offend you."_

"_You didn't do anything wrong." he replied stiffly._

"_Then what did I do? Do I not please you?"_

_Zuko glanced at her for a moment before he spun around and left, slamming the door behind him._

_For the women he didn't like, like Iyashii, he would throw them out unceremoniously, not caring about what happened to them. Let them pay the consequence of their folly in believing they could use him for power and position. For women like Miharaki, he would simply let them be so they would have a place to stay for the night before going back home. These fortunate women who hadn't roused his ire in one way or another were treated with respect, and he would not speak ill of them or shame them. He would simply act as if nothing ever happened._

_Miharaki went back to her father with a few gifts from Iroh, and neither of them were punished. He had however written Jin Hisaki a short letter, telling him that if he was going to give his daughter to anyone, it had to be a good man because she deserved a good match, and she should only be a wife, never merely someone's concubine. Half a year later, she was married to the son of a different nobleman, and both of them seemed happy._

_Right after he had returned to his suite after the disappointment with Miharaki, the Fire Lord gave out an angry roar before throwing himself on his bed and pounding his pillow in frustration until the stuffing had exploded out of it in a shower of feathers, feeling tears burn behind his eyes although none fell._

_He needed __**her**__._

_He had poured himself into the affairs of Fire Nation, working hard and ignoring everything else, wrapping up whatever loose ends and business he could in preparation for one thing._

_He had not left the Islands since he had come back with the Avatar. Now he would leave._

_Because he had to find __**her**__, no matter what…_

o0o0o0o

…And now he had found her. He had come to claim her with his own hands, no one else. He should have done this in the first place instead of sending out these damned bounty hunters.

Katara slept deeply that night, and in her dreams there was a large red dragon chasing after her. In its mouth it held fire, and it reached for her with outstretched claws. Even though she tried her best to evade it, it caught her and pinned her down, tearing her clothes off. She felt its clawed hands on her shoulders and breasts and stomach as she looked up at it. Its gold eyes burned with passion and on the left side of its face the scales around its eye were marred.

"Mine." it said with a throaty growl, opening its maw, its fangs gleaming in the sunlight.

She moaned softly, feeling gentle kisses along her jaw and neck. She felt fingertips caress the inside of her arm and smiled a little. Aang often woke her up with such gentle kisses and caresses, and she wiggled closer to the body that was even now administering to her so lovingly. The Waterbender grinned as she felt the lips move up her cheek to her lips and when she felt lips on her own, she kissed back.

Finally, the lips parted from hers and she felt a gentle nuzzle.

"Tara…" she heard a deep voice whisper. _Aang never called me Tara..._ Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared up at the Fire Lord who was smiling back at her gently.

"Good morning, my love. Are you feeling better?" he asked softly. She moaned as she rubbed her eyes before she raised her arms over her head to stretch and orient herself. Zuko remained silent until she brought her arms back down, and he nuzzled her again.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. She sighed and nodded.

"I...I guess. I was really tired." she whispered. He gave her a small but sympathetic smile.

"We both were."

"Yeah." she murmured softly before falling silent, looking up at him. His fingers caressed the side of her face and she didn't pull away. His touch felt so good and his fingers were gentle and warm.

"I'm glad you're here." Zuko whispered. Her eyes moved away from him, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly as he placed his head on her shoulder, kissing the side of her neck. She let out a quiet sigh and climbed out of bed, going to the washroom. Zuko lay there for a couple of moments to collect his thoughts before he went to the door of his cabin, opening it and placing an order for breakfast.

Katara went through her usual morning routine and washed her hands before emerging from the washroom. Her hair was loose and slightly rumpled, and he stared at her quietly, taking in the dark beauty that was his consort. She noticed his stare and looked down quickly, climbing back onto the bed and laying on it on her stomach, propping her head on her hands and trying to figure the best way out of this as she felt his gaze.

Zuko went over to the window and opened the curtains, letting warm sunlight flood in. It looked to be about late morning to Katara's best estimate and she blinked a couple of times, letting her eyes adjust to the sudden influx of light.

The Fire Lord looked at her before walking over to the bed, and she couldn't help but think how handsome he looked with his hair loose and wearing just a pair of baggy black pants. When he sat next to her, she didn't bother to wiggle away. His hand went onto her back and she relaxed, closing her eyes and trying to forget her present situation. The backrub felt _so_ good, and even though she was still determined to find a way to escape, she couldn't help but surrender to his loving attentions. Might as well enjoy it while she could... _right?_

This continued until there was a knock on the door. Zuko went to answer it, returning with a tray of food that he set down within her reach. She turned her head away from it, barely noticing the array of food on it.

Zuko said nothing, taking one of the two plates that were set on the tray and set a bit of everything on it and a pair of chopsticks, turning the tray so that one end of it was close to her. He set the plate back on the tray at her end of it and poured her a cup of tea.

"Breakfast time, Katara." the raven-haired Lord said lightly, making up his own plate. The warm smell of spices rose from the dishes, welcoming them to enjoy the excellently-prepared food.

"Not hungry." she whispered, keeping her face turned away.

"Eat anyways. It's good food."

"No." she said, starting to feel defensive again. Was this what it would be like for the rest of her life if she didn't manage to escape him? Following orders, catering to his every whim?

"You need to eat. Otherwise you will be nothing but skin and bones and end up worse off. You lost a lot of weight before and I don't want that to happen again." he said patiently, reining in his temper.

"I don't care if I waste away. It suits me fine." she whispered.

"It does not suit me." Zuko replied. She said nothing, ignoring the smell of the delicious food. The Fire Lord could have it all as far as she was concerned.

"You will eat one way or another." came the Fire Lord's curt statement.

"Gonna force food down my throat?" she challenged.

"If I have to."

"So this is how it is going to be for the rest of my life." she muttered, drawing herself up to her knees and staring at him angrily.

"If you keep fighting me every step of the way, it will be. I will _not_ allow you to inflict harm upon yourself in any way." he replied. He watched as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Just eat, please. I don't want you to go hungry." Zuko asked softly. She had been tempted to just throw her plate at him, but the concern in his tone and the pleading in his eyes gave her pause. She brought her hands down, picking up her chopsticks and eating quietly, barely noticing what she ate, looking down and trying to imagine what the rest of her life might be like. How _could_ he do that to her?

She quickly cleaned her plate and downed her cup of tea, setting both back onto the tray and sitting there quietly, her hands in her lap as she stared off at a spot on the wall. Zuko finished eating and picked up the tray, setting it aside before turning back to her and touching her hand lightly, silently beseeching her to look at him. She simply drew away, looking very downcast. He pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close, placing a light kiss on the side of her face.

"Please, don't." she whispered, "Please don't do this to me."

"Don't do what to you?" he asked. He knew she had to be enjoying his loving touch. Why must she continue to be so defiant in the face of the obvious?

"Take me to Sozun. I'm not suited for that kind of life, Zuko. I don't want to be shut up in the Palace. I'm not made for that life, I'm not. I'm tougher than that."

"Then prove it, prove you are not weak by being my consort and helping me."

"That's not the point." she sighed, looking down, "You're taking away my freedom and locking me up! I won't be able to take walks at the beach or walk through the woods or frolic around in a pond or glide through the air – you're taking that away from me and it's not right! It's not natural to be shut up in a building all day!" she argued.

"You will still be able to take walks outside the Palace, you know the gardens are beautiful. Surely you remember them. You can enjoy them... only if I am with you or have given you leave. Right now you are under punishment and will be confined until I can trust you enough to give you leave to enjoy the Palace grounds without harming yourself or causing trouble. As for the gliding, that is something you will never do with the Avatar again. About it being right, what you believe to be right and what I believe to be right are two different things, and furthermore should you go to the Avatar again… I warn you Katara, there will be dire consequences for him. Do you understand?" he stated in a frosty tone.

"You're just going to lock me up in the Palace like I'm some shiny trinket to be put away!"

"For the time being yes I am, I do not wish to have to worry about you leaving my side again or trying to cause trouble. But you are worth infinitely much more than a trinket, I assure you."

"But you don't care if I'm unhappy. I hated it in Sozun. I don't belong there. You _can't_ just do that to me!" she said miserably, crossing her arms.

"I can if you insist on being defiant, Katara."

"Excuse me – but you're the one who kidnapped me and dragged me here! I don't want a relationship like this!" she shot back. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"I wouldn't have had to drag you here had you returned to me when I asked you to, and that by the way was before I hired bounty hunters to go after you!" he snapped. She quickly looked down, remembering the letters.

"I sent you letter after letter asking you to return before I sent the people after you." he reminded her.

Katara sighed softly, thinking of the letters she had gotten. Three of them all together, all asking her to come back to Sozun. She still had them, in her personal belongings. Aang had read the letters as well but he didn't know she had kept them.

"I still have your letters." she said quietly. He blinked, looking at her. He had feared that she had not gotten the letters at all, or the Avatar was getting rid of them before she could see them.

"Then why did you not reply? I thought you weren't getting them..."

"I was afraid to." she said quietly, "All of your letters demanded that I come back to Sozun or turn myself in." Of course, she didn't mention that Aang got angry at the letters and at the messengers who came for her. Once in a while when Aang wasn't looking, she would open them and read them and look at his graceful handwriting and his words.

"Then why? Why would you not even write me back? I worried about you and wanted to come after you but it was impossible to leave Sozun back then with so much work to do."" he asked. She took a deep breath.

"I was afraid to write you back, for if I said yes, then I would have to come back and if I said no I knew you would be angry and hunt me down. I hoped to just... fade away from your memory."

"That's not the only reason isn't it?" he asked harshly, "did _he_ convince you to not reply?"

o0o0o0o

One Year ASC

…_The village they were currently staying in had been heavily ravaged and under lots of conflict over the last few decades since it straddled the borders of the Earth Kingdoms and the Fire Colonies, but Aang, being the Avatar, stayed to help. He helped the people to rebuild, and Katara helped him with her Waterbending. He also served to meditate, and convinced the village leaders to work on peace negotiations instead of fighting. They had been here for over a week now and in return for all the help, they got free room at the inn plus all the food they wanted. She felt satisfied knowing that she was doing something to help people, and it made her feel good. This was so much better than being confined in the Palace of the Fire Lord!_

_Right now it was almost dark, and Aang and Katara were in the market, chatting with the shopkeepers and keeping an eye out for trouble. Thanks to their combined efforts, they had been able to do a lot of work. The village now had a steady supply of water because Katara had sensed water deep below the ground – only a Waterbender would have felt that – and she and Aang had brought it to the surface, creating a spring and stream that flowed freely, much to the jubilation of the townspeople. They didn't plan to stay much longer anyway, the townspeople could do the rest of the work by themselves and Aang wanted to help more people._

_There were still quite a few people outside, but Katara noticed a man coming down the street, and there was something about his walk and attire that set him apart from the natives._

"_Excuse me... miss?" the man asked hesitantly. Katara sensed that he meant no harm. His clothing was mostly black and gray with just a touch of red, and she immediately figured that he was Fire Nation._

"_Yes?" she said kindly, hiding her nervousness. Even though she had been away from Soxun for over a year, she still felt apprehensive. She had never forgotten Zuko's words from the morning before the Agni Kai._

"_I have a message for you my lady." the man said, his head bowed. Oh no, not again, she thought, remembering the other letter she had, hidden in her bag. Of course, she wasn't too surprised that __**he**__ had sent another messenger after her, but still..._

"_You must be mistaken, I am of no importance. Who is the message for?" Katara asked, hiding her anxiety. She was dressed in plain and nondescript robe and pants of blue._

"_Katara of the Water Tribe. The one who came with Fire Lord Zuko to Sozun?" the man asked simply. Aang watched all of this in stony silence._

"_Oh. Well... Um, yes. That would be me." she nodded slightly. She could lie, but the man was just doing his job. The man bowed and handed her a scroll he had in his bag and she blinked, taking it._

"_Thank you." she said. The man stood there patiently. Aang looked over her shoulder as she broke the seal and unrolled the scroll._

_**Katara…**_

_**Come back to Sozun. You will be safe here. Return to me immediately.**_

_**~ Fire Lord Zuko**_

_Aang's eyes narrowed and he glared up at the messenger._

"_Get out of here." he growled. Katara blinked, looking at him._

"_I am not here to hurt anyone, I am simply a royal messenger." the man said kindly, "I have paper and ink here for you to write a reply." he said to Katara, but Aang stepped in front of her._

"_No." Aang stated with a scowl._

"_Aang." Katara whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder._

"_No Katara, I am not about to let him take you."_

"_Please, calm down. It's just a letter." Katara whispered, but Aang turned his full fury on the man. The messenger took a step back when he saw how Aang glared at him so fiercely._

"_We are not interested in anything your master has to say. Now get out of here!" Aang shouted the last sentence, but the messenger stood firm._

"_I'm not here to cause trouble. I am merely a messenger and all I need is for the lady to write a reply or come with me." he explained simply. Katara stared at him for a moment. He seemed kind enough and trustworthy to serve as an escort if needed. Doubtless Zuko had hand-picked him for such a task. The man's words only served to rouse the Avatar's ire further._

"_Get out of here!" Aang shouted, "You have no business with Katara! Leave us alone!"_

_The messenger gulped but nodded, bowing quickly before turning around and leaving. The Waterbender blinked as Aang took her arm and started walking back to the inn._

"_We don't need him, Katara."_

"_I know, but you didn't have to yell at the poor man like that, he was just doing his job!" she said as he headed up to the suite they had been staying in._

"_He's an agent of the Fire Lord. And we're done with Zuko!" Aang said bitterly before he tore the letter from her hand and balled it up, hurling it against the wall. She gasped softly._

"_You don't need him!" he raged as he slammed the door shut, almost causing it to skid off its runner. She touched his hand gently, trying to calm him down._

"_I know..." she whispered, "That's why I'm with you." She reached for him. He relaxed but said nothing, standing there with his fists clenched._

"_Aang?" she whispered, "Are you okay?"_

"_I am not letting him hurt you again! Not ever!"_

"_Shh, it's okay. I'm here," she said softly, squeezing his hands._

"_Not if that abusive monster has his way!"_

"_Please don't call him that…" she said softly, feeling the need to defend Zuko._

"_That's what he is." Aang insisted. She sighed and shook her head. She hated to admit it, but it hurt her to hear him talk about Zuko like that._

"_Just forget about him." she whispered, "Please. You and I are both free. Let's just move on."_

"_He won't let us move on."_

"_We're moving on our own. We have Appa. It's a big world. Please, Aang. Let's just forget. It's just you and me now." She looked at him with big blue eyes. He glanced at her, still looking unhappy. She knew he was still thinking of these unpleasant memories. She squeezed his hand and nuzzled him._

"_I'm here." she whispered, trying to shake him out of the past. He looked at her with these big gray eyes and nuzzled her, hugging her close. She whispered comforting words to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He shuddered, but calmed down quickly enough within her tight embrace. Afterward, they were able to relax further with a simple but delicious meal prepared by the innkeeper's wife, and the Avatar shared some of his stories with the other people around the table before they retired for the night._

_Katara was glad to return to the privacy of her room. She changed into more comfortable clothing before laying down on the large mat, drawing the comforter up and nestling into the comfortable bedding. The innkeeper had given them a two-room suite without charge for the simple fact that Aang was the Avatar and he had been helping their village. The other room was quiet, and she assumed he was sleeping. However, she felt him crawl under the comforter before curling up to her, his arm wrapped around her middle._

"_I love you." Aang whispered, pulling the blankets up to their chins. It wasn't the first time he had said it, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to repeat these words back to him. She wanted to say it, but just couldn't. She had even practiced saying it in front of a mirror, but the words always felt hollow. As she felt him cuddling more closely, she feigned sleep so he wouldn't wonder at her lack of response._

_Katara waited until Aang fell asleep before she slipped off the mat and found the balled up letter and smoothing it out as she sat by the window. She studied the parchment, looking at his neat handwriting in the moonlight, feeling a tear fall down her cheek and fall on the paper._

_She gave out a quiet sigh, running her finger along the part of the letter that was his name, tracing the smooth and neat brushstrokes._

_She cried softly, not noticing the stirring of her companion as he came awake. The Avatar clenched a fist upon seeing her crying over the letter, and hating that Zuko hurt her so. The girl was hunched over the letter, weeping quietly, and she didn't see him approach her._

"_Let it go Katara, he doesn't love you, nor could he ever. You're with me and I will keep you safe" Aang said softly. She felt him slip the letter from her hand and toss it onto the floor before he guided her back to bed. He pulled her close and nuzzled her tenderly, hugging her close as he kissed away her tears, whispering soothing words to her, telling her that he would always care for her and keep her safe._

_She continued crying quietly, but not for the reason Aang thought. She was crying because she missed Zuko…_

o0o0o0o

The Waterbender quickly looked down, and he had his answer. Zuko growled softly, clenching his fists.

"He claimed how I have no right to run your life, yet he was doing the very same thing he accuses me of!"

She whimpered softly and backed away from him, afraid he might lash out at her. She could not help but remember the night he had marked her. He sighed softly as he noticed her reaction, pulling his temper into check.

"I am not angry with you, I will not hurt you. Please trust me." he clarified. She sat there quietly, looking down. The more she thought about, it the more she wondered about his words. Aang _had_ to an extent tried to control her life as well.

He touched the side of her face gently. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, letting him touch her face. The Fire Lord smirked, knowing that he had the chance to score a victory.

"Let me guess…not only did he not want you to reply to my letters, but he also decided where you would be traveling and where you would be staying? And he constantly kept you close, did he not?" he asked. Katara remained silent. By now, he knew that this meant yes, and he held back a smirk of triumph. "Doesn't sound like you had as much freedom as you let on now, does it?" Zuko asked.

Her breath caught in her throat. "At least he never locked me up." she said, desperately seeking any excuse that might hold the Fire Lord off.

"Not physically, but he never let you make a choice, at least not the big ones, did he? Or did the boy also tell you what to eat or wear? Or when to go to bed, like you were a little girl?" he asked with a smirk. She stared at him stonily, crossing her arms. Aang hadn't gone so far as to tell her what to wear or go to bed, but she hated that Zuko had been right about Aang's over-protectiveness. How the hell had she not noticed before? The Avatar's stubborn protectiveness, always keeping her close, the fact that she felt smothered at times… damn it! She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or saddened that she came to realize this.

"I'm not going to treat you like a little girl – I'm going to treat you like a woman. My woman."

"That's not amusing." Katara said with a defiant glare. He gave her one of his trademark smirks, his eyes gleaming with wicked delight.


	5. 04

**Volcano**

Chapter 04

o0o0o0o

As the Waterbender sat there, thinking about his words, the Fire Lord could see the thoughtful frown on her lovely features. Rather than throwing another statement at her, he gave her several moments of silence to contemplate their discussion.

Katara knew that she had been avoiding the truth for a long time. Aang had always insisted on protecting her, and at times – these times had become more frequent over the last two years – she had felt smothered by his affections. He always kept her close as if he was afraid she might run off, and it had often seemed to her that he would prefer her to not fight at all… just sit there and look sweet and cuddle with him and let him protect her. Why hadn't she complained to Aang before? Why hadn't she asked him to give her space?

"I can make my own choices!" she insisted hotly, her gaze flashing in his direction.

"Then why didn't you?" he asked with a triumphant smirk, "instead of letting someone else make the choice concerning us?"

"It wasn't that!" she insisted, "I liked my freedom because I could travel around and experience life…and not be judged because of what I was. I don't fit in the Fire Nation. The Court looked down at me." she said, bitterly remembering how the nobles looked down at her. The golden-eyed Lord sighed softly before he reached out to stroke her hair.

"Their opinions do not matter. I am the Fire Lord and your position is now higher than theirs. What is wrong with being at my side and holding a position of power and respect? Just because you were not born into Fire Nation nobility doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. Think of what you could do for the Water Tribes. You're a smart woman, Katara, you can and will learn."

"You don't understand." she sighed, looking away, but not before she saw hurt in his eyes for a moment.

"I do want to give you freedom, but only if I know you will not try to run off. I want to trust you. You are mine and I am yours, and that mark of yours is a symbol of that. It's a way of saying we belong to each other… something that stupid Airbender or your people or the Earth Kingdom never understood and always looked down on my people over, just because we are more passionate and possessive of the people we care about."

"But I never consented to it. I never said yes to being your wife and now you are taking me back to Sozun against my will..." Katara said, remembering that fateful night, her first time with him, how he had taken her aboard that boat he had and taken her, the pleasure they had shared. She could still recall the soreness between her legs the morning after and the bruises on her neck and shoulder where he had bitten her, praying that her brother and friend would not notice.

"Was I ever abusive or cruel to you? Did I not always have your comfort and welfare in my thoughts? Did we not grow close? You let me into your heart, Tara, just as I let you into mine."

Katara looked down, holding back a sigh. He did have a point – or several of then.

"And don't even try to make me out to be the villain here. I am not, and you should know better than that. I know that the Avatar has suffered greatly at my father's hands, and I can't exactly blame him for not wanting to see me, but you? Please. I hope you don't compare me to him."

"I know you're not like your father." she said softly, touching his hand, wanting to reassure him, "You were very kind to me when you... were with me on that first night, and I knew that when I left your boat that you...weren't all bad. You were never cruel to me. Like I said before, I don't hate you."

"Yet you listened to someone who believes the worst in me. And that hurts Katara, it really hurts." Zuko said, his eyes now taking on a sorrowful glint. She felt the sudden need to hug him.

"I'm sorry, Zuko." she said with genuine remorse.

"Everyone's sorry, but that doesn't change things."

"Look, Zuko..." she sighed, "I meant it when I said I don't hate you. But I was very unhappy in Sozun and I was afraid to go back to that. I still don't want to go back."

"Did you not miss me?" he asked. He got silence and an averted gaze in reply.

"You can't say no, can you? Then that means you wish to be here."

"What? You burst into my inn room, battled with me and had me drugged and brought onto your ship!" she said, unable to hold back an incredulous laugh. She was trying to be so angry with him, but the fact was that she had indeed missed him and Aang had indeed tried to control her life. And she had been denying it all along. And now Zuko had a retort for every argument she could think of.

"It's true though… you missed me and now you are here. With me."

"I didn't come on the ship willingly!" she said, trying to maintain a display of bold anger and failing spectacularly as she wagged her finger at him.

"You missed me, and now you are here with me and the only reason you are fighting me on this is because you're as stubborn as I am. It's a quality I admire in you, but there is a time to not fight. Just accept your situation, it matters not what your family or the Avatar would think or expect from you, all that matters is you and me."

She crossed her arms and pouted like a small child. He chuckled softly as she shot him a heated glare.

"It's not about them, it's about me!"

"Make my Palace your home as well as mine and as for the rest… nobody gets everything they all want! If that was the case, then my sire would've loved me like a son and not done the things he did, and the Avatar never would have been harmed. But now that boy holds it against me. Every day I regret what I brought him to and wish I could take it away, but I can't. I saved him by freeing him twice, and he still regards me as the enemy." He sighed softly. "Every day I do my best. But it is hard. And lonely."

She blushed faintly under his intent, longing gaze. The part of her that was angry grasped around desperately for more things to fight about, anything that might drive him away, and she was rapidly running out of things to argue about. He always had retorts for them, and now she was feeling bad for him!

And then there was his touch, the touch that she had missed and secretly longed for even when Aang touched her. Right now his lips were running along her throat, tasting of her flesh hungrily even as he pulled her close. She knew that if they didn't stop, she would soon enough be under him, consumed by him and his searing passion.

"Zuko…" she moaned as she felt him suck on her neck, nuzzling her fiercely as he hugged her even closer. She placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. He paused, looking up at her.

"Do you really want me to stop, Katara? Don't you want me to hold you close and take you and remind you of how passionate I am?" he asked with hooded eyes, running his tongue along his lips.

_Oh, yes she did_. Very much. She could feel the stirring deep within, that warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that only he could elicit from her. She longed for what Aang had always been lacking in. She didn't want to be treated like a fragile doll, something that would break if given anything else than light and delicate touches. She wanted to be treated fiercely, dealt with passionately, taken with force and sent spiraling into the depths of ecstasy that were only to be found in Zuko's fire...

_No!_ Katara chided herself. _Don't give in to… that!_ If she did, Zuko would win.

"Isn't there…_anything_ I can do to change your mind? Isn't there anything I can do to make you let me go? Something in exchange for my freedom?" she pleaded, seeking to distract him. Zuko stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head slowly.

"No." he whispered, his gaze still filled with desire. She sighed softly. She was trying very hard to stay calm, as screaming would only make things worse, but she felt tempted to throttle him right now.

"I do not want you to leave." Zuko added softly, "Please?"

"Please what?"

"Please consider well before you say that you don't want to be here with me." he murmured. She looked down for a few moments.

"It... it was just so sudden...I mean, so much happened last night and just..." She sighed, running her fingers through her thick hair idly, "And all that happened, with you kidnapping us, and the Fire Lord...and all of that... It's been so long since I saw you and now all of this… it just feels strange and sudden to me. I've been through a lot and I'm still trying to process all of this..." she trailed off.

"And you don't think I have been through a lot?" he asked. She shook her head again.

"I don't doubt that you have had your own share of troubles, or that being the Fire Lord takes a lot of work… I imagine you had a lot of work ahead of you after you became Fire Lord. I hope Iroh and whoever else is helping you."

"He is." Zuko nodded, "As well as several other good men, and my council helps me. Things have changed for the better… just trust me on that."

She was about to argue again, but fell silent. It was no use, and even though she wanted to fight, she was not going to waste her breath. She was stubborn, but not stupid.

"Please trust me, Tara. That's all I ask." Zuko asked, his hands stretched out to her, palms up as if he was begging. She looked up again, her gaze flickering to his for a moment before looking down again.

"Why do you keep pushing me away every time I get close to you?" Zuko asked quietly. Tears slid down her face and she sniffled softly, keeping her face averted. Zuko took her into his arms, pulling her into his lap as he nuzzled her gently, kissing away her tears. She did not fight this time, and leaned into his embrace.

"I would have you at my side and no one else, Katara." Zuko whispered as he stroked her cheek. She looked up at him, seeing his fond gaze.

"No one else will do, believe me. I've had women brought to me and they aren't good enough to alleviate my boredom or sexual urges! Every time I tried to, I thought of you. You're the only one that can satisfy me, but not just in bed. I like having you close, to talk to, to listen to, to hold, to share quiet moments with. And I know you enjoyed your time with me too. Please don't deny it, don't deny yourself or me." he said. She felt him stroke her hair, and she nodded.

"I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, Katara. Remember three years ago when my ship came to your village looking for the Avatar? And I came down the ramp from the ship and you and the other women and children were standing there… I remember you so well. You were standing there in front of the others, and I knew I would never forget such blue eyes. You stood there so bravely while the other people cowered from me." he continued. She nodded slowly, remembering that day.

"After we left, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I remembered every encounter we had, every time I saw you. At first I hated myself for it, thought myself stupid and foolish, but I dreamed of you. So when I had the opportunity to take you, I took it. Because I thought that if I took you, I would have tasted of you and been sated and be able to move on. But that night only left me longing for more." Zuko whispered. Katara shivered. After that night, she had dreamed of him often…

"Of course, I didn't understand my feelings back then because I didn't think I was capable of it… but I did know that I felt a great need. I needed you and I couldn't stop needing you, I had never felt this way before and tried to understand it. All I knew was that I wanted you to be mine and only mine, so I branded you. And I knew that I wanted no one else. I have passion only for you. Other women have tried to rouse it, to no avail." He sighed softly, thinking of the women that had been offered to him. He gained no real pleasure from them, merely momentary release.

"You are the Fire Lord and you are free to do as you please." Katara replied neutrally.

"What I can do as Fire Lord doesn't matter. Look… the point is that I want you and only you. Other people do not matter. Not the concubines or the Avatar or the nobles or your family. I don't care if you're not a noblewoman. I don't give a damn if you don't know how to do a tea ceremony or write poetry or dance or do fancy embroidery or any of that useless crap that the ladies are taught. What matters to me is that you make me feel complete. I appreciate your mind and spirit and only when I am with you do I feel complete and sated. I have no wish for a harem. You would be the sole recipient of my attentions and the only one to be in my bed. I would provide everything for you and I would never discard you. I honestly and truly do care for you, more than any man ever could care about any woman."

Katara sat there on his lap quietly for a few moments. She knew it had taken a lot for him to say all of that because he was a man of few words.

"You do understand that I will not ever hurt you? I have no wish to do so." he said. Still, she was silent, her eyes downcast.

Zuko clenched his jaw. After all of that, she still wouldn't look at him? Did she want to be away from him so much that she had shut him out? That hurt more than he cared to admit.

"Katara?" he asked quietly, "Did you hear anything I said? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"What? Oh…yes. I listened to it all, I heard everything. I guess I'm just a little surprised because you know, you usually don't say much…" Katara said, looking down at her hands.

"Yeah…I don't really talk much do I?" he asked. She shook her head.

"You only talk when you have something important to say. So I know to listen when you do speak." she replied. The young Firebender suddenly hugged her tightly. He felt himself loving her even more, if that was possible.

"I heard everything you said and I know you don't want to hurt me. I do not want to fight with you, Zuko."

"I don't want to fight with you either, I don't like it. I thought about things last night after I left you in here crying. I… don't blame you for being upset with me for taking you. But that doesn't mean I want you upset with me. I want us to be together and I want you to want me." Zuko whispered as he placed gentle kisses on her cheek and jawline.

She could have pushed him away, could have climbed off his lap or slapped him for what he was doing. But she didn't want to do any of these things. All she wanted was for him to love her and hold her and keep her warm.

So she lifted up her face to him, letting him kiss and nuzzle her. He smiled faintly, hugging her more tightly as he whispered her name. Her head leaned against his shoulder as she relaxed into his embrace, trying to push everything else out of her mind and just enjoy this moment. They had had such good moments in the past and she had missed them so much…

She didn't protest when he gently eased her back onto the bed as she looked up at him.

"My beautiful Tara." he said softly as his lips descended onto hers again, and she felt her body responding to him. She knew if she let him continue she would give in and let him have her.

"Please… stop." she whispered. He stiffened slightly and looked down at her.

"What's wrong? Are you thinking about him again?" he asked, starting to get defensive again.

"I…no, no. It's not that, really! It's just… it's been so long and… I'm overwhelmed by it all." she murmured. He paused, staring at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Would you like if I left you alone for a bit? You could explore the ship if you like, or just nap or take a bath." Zuko said. She nodded gratefully.

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

"Just one thing… if I do leave you alone, can I trust you to not harm yourself or throw yourself overboard?" he asked.

"Yes."

Zuko did not want to leave her, but he had made progress with her and he didn't want to lose that. If being alone for a bit would help her to calm down about her situation, then fine. He had no desire to alienate her or give her any reason to fear him.

"Okay then." Zuko said softly, giving her a gentle nuzzle, "I guess I will go outside then and work on my Firebending. If you want to come outside and watch, go ahead." he said with a small smile, stroking her cheek before he climbed out of the bed. She watched silently as he approached the door and just before he left he looked back at her, gold eyes meeting blue for a moment before he disappeared.

o0o0o0o

She lay on the bed for several minutes, thinking about Aang. He was not going to sit back and take this, that much was certain. How would she deal with this situation?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a timid knock on the door. Wondering who it might be, she sat up on the bed.

"Come in." she called out. The door opened, and a woman who appeared to be her age if not a bit older, entered, bowing as she did so.

"Greetings, my lady. I am Lan Yu."

"Hello, Lan Yu." Katara replied, wondering what this woman was doing here. She had her ebony hair pulled back in a bun, revealing a strikingly attractive face and a slim body. Her garb was plain and comfortable, unadorned red silk marking her as a servant. Now, most servants didn't get to wear silk, but Katara remembered from her time in the Fire Lord's Palace that high-ranked servants and attendants did get the privilege of wearing silk, but it had to be plain and of a certain cut so they would not be confused for a noble.

"The Fire Lord asked me to come in and check on you. Is there anything you need? I can draw a bath or give you a massage. Or are you hungry? I could play a pipa for you, or play a game with you."

Katara climbed off the bed before she spoke. "Perhaps we could just talk for a bit."

"Anything you like, my lady."

"Okay then." The Waterbender slowly approached the window, and Lan Yu joined her. Katara glanced at the other woman. There was something familiar about that face, but she was unable to place it. Had Lan Yu been a servant before? She narrowed her eyes, studying the Fire Nation woman's features. The servant blinked.

"Is something the matter?"

"No. Your face is familiar. Have we met?" she asked softly. Lan Yu smiled.

"Indeed. Do you remember when you came to the concubines' wing?"

Katara nodded slowly, remembering the cruel comments and blows the Fire Lord had given to one particular concubine that had displeased him. Wait. That concubine that the former Fire Lord had been slapping around and threatening to discard...

"You..." she murmured, her eyes widening in recognition. The raven-haired woman nodded slowly.

"Well. You certainly look happier now." Katara finally said after several moments. The other woman laughed softly, a pleasant, tinkling chuckle.

"I am, my lady."

"What happened to the other women?"

"A couple of them went back to their families. Two simply left. The rest of us chose to stay and serve Zuko."

"Why would you choose to stay?"

Lan Yu gazed at her levelly for a moment before she spoke. "My father is a nobleman – not a very rich or powerful one, mind you – and I was the daughter of his fifth concubine. My father ignored his daughters and my brothers got all the attention and privilege. My sisters and I were taken care of and sheltered, but it was clear that we were second-class citizens of the household. We were given lessons in all of the ladylike arts – music, poetry, you know. As soon as any of us were old enough to be married or a proposal was offered, he would send one of his daughters away without a second thought. We were worth nothing to him. When the old Fire Lord chose me, Father was all too happy to give me away to gain Ozai's favor." She sighed softly, gazing out the window. Katara waited patiently.

"After Zuko defeated Ozai, the women of his harem as well as the discarded concubines were given freedom. We could do as we pleased. We could leave, or go back to our families, or stay on as servants."

"Why would you choose to be a servant?" Katara asked with curiosity. Lan Yu smiled again.

"Why would I want to go back to my father? So he could give me to another man? Here, I earn my own wages, and while the work is not always easy, it is satisfying to be useful to the Fire Lord. In my father's house, I had no purpose. Nothing was expected of me other than obedience and the eventuality that I would become someone else's concubine. But now, I am one of the Fire Lord's most trusted servants. He has but to ask, and I serve. And I will serve you as well."

Katara mulled over Lan Yu's words. This woman didn't have to stay with Zuko, but she could tell by the enthusiastic glint in these light brown eyes that Lan Yu genuinely took pride in her position.

"He... truly is a good master?"

"The best. He treats his servants honorably. If someone is ever punished, it is fair and deserved."

"Have you ever been punished?"

"Goodness, no! He is a fair man who makes his expectations clear."

"You've been his servant all this while?"

"Not always. I started with a lower rank, but he took notice of me and placed me on his personal staff. And if you please, I can be your personal attendant."

Katara nodded slowly. This woman knew Zuko well enough, and it would be nice to have a female companion.

"Sounds good to me. And I'm glad you've found happiness, Lan Yu."

"Oh my lady, you can just call me Lan."

"Why do the nobles like concubines so much?" It wasn't something Katara had seen in her glimpses of the middle and lower classes of Fire Nation society.

"It's the old triumvirate. Money, sex, and power. If they can afford pretty young concubines, they see no reason not to. After all, to them, money buys happiness. Big houses, rare jewels and art, expensive clothes, lavish parties, beautiful concubines, any time they get bored of something, then buy something new! You get the idea..."

"In the Water Tribes, we don't do that. Ever."

"Ever?" Lan's eyes widened with curiosity, and Katara smiled. Now was the chance to share a bit about her own culture.

"To us, marriage is two people. Nothing more, nothing less. There's about the same amount of men and women in our village. If one man had several concubines, there would be other men with no women of their own. It's about balance. The wisdom of the spirits ensures that balance is kept. Marriage is a sacred bond of love and trust."

Lan gave out a wistful sigh, obviously enjoying that idea very much. That was a good sign.

"I like the sound of that. And I think the Fire Lord does, as well." the servant commented.

"Hm?"

"He has no other women. And I have heard that the women who are sent to the Fire Lord find him very, very hard to please, and that he sent them away before they had the opportunity to be... intimate."

Katara could not help but feel rather smug at that. So he couldn't enjoy the company of other women? Lovely. She looked back to the window, seeing a most pleasing sight before her. Zuko was training on the deck, and with no shirt despite the brisk weather. He did look good, and she felt a faint blush creep into her cheeks as she watched him Firebend gracefully, impressing her with the arcing and impressive displays of skillfully-Bended fire.

"It's exhilarating to watch, isn't it?" Lan murmured. She nodded as they watched. It was hard to fight the temptation to go down there and watch him more closely. He had filled out over the last two years, losing much of his teenage lankiness.

After a suitable amount of time, he ended his session before looking up, seeing the two of them at the window. He grinned up at Katara, and she blushed even more, ducking out of sight.

"Why are you so shy, my lady? He likes you." Lan murmured.

"He's... overwhelming." she admitted.

"You wouldn't be the first woman to think so. Yet it is you that he chooses, out of them all." Lan reminded her.

"Do you find him attractive?" Katara found herself blurting out. The other woman chewed her lip for a moment, her cheeks pinkening faintly. She looked down.

"I would never act inappropriately towards him... or you, my lady." she murmured.

"So I can count on your loyalty?"

"I swear it upon my honor." Lan replied.

"Good. I was simply curious. It's hard to not enjoy a sight like what we just saw." the Waterbender replied reassuringly. The brown-eyed woman smiled faintly.

"What I like best is that his eyes are... devoid of the cruelty that Ozai had." the servant replied in frank admission.

"Amen to that!" Katara replied emphatically. She went back to the window, seeing him pat his face with a towel as he sat down, a servant bringing him tea. She noticed a difference on this ship and the one she had been on before. Previously, it had been all men, mainly soldiers, with a minimal amount of non-military personnel such as the cook. She had been left alone to occupy and care for herself. Now, while most of the passengers were still military, she noticed several people in servant's attire, and of course, the ship itself was much larger and more ornate, befitting the Fire Lord himself.

The two women chatted a bit more, comparing tidbits of Fire Nation and Water Tribe culture. Lan showed genuine interest, asking questions and responding with interest and approval to Katara's answers. Lan even said that the nobles could learn from the Tribes, something which immensely flattered and pleased the Waterbender. Perhaps being in Sozun wouldn't be so bad...

She noticed Zuko rise from his seat after finishing his tea, and deduced that he might be coming back to the cabin.

"I'd like to take a nap." Katara said, feigning a yawn.

"Is there anything you need?"

"Not right now. But thank you."

"My pleasure. Should I stay with you, or do you want me to check on you later?"

"Come back later."

When the Fire Lord came to the cabin to take a shower, Katara pretended she was sleeping, curled up in the comfortable bed as she heard the water running. When he came out, she felt him crawl onto the bed before pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek, his clean scent tickling her nose. She was tempted to respond, but remained still, keeping her breathing slow and regular while her heart pounded within her chest. He retreated from the cabin.

She emerged a while later, exploring the ship and noting the differences between this and the small vessel he had had before. It provided an useful distraction, and as promised, Lan checked on her, and joined her for the walk.

She wondered where Zuko might be, but resisted the urge to ask Lan or anyone else where he was or what he was doing. The days of late winter were short and crisp, and the sky started to darken soon enough. She shivered slightly as the air became cooler. When she decided that she had had enough, she returned to the cabin, taking a hot shower. After she let Lan braid her hair, she dismissed the servant with a request for supper.

She sat in a comfortable chair by the window in the front room, staring out at the waves. A knock – firmer than Lan's own – met her ears and she looked up.

"Come in." she called out. The door swung open and Sylid entered the room, accompanied by Lan carrying a tray with a meal. Both of them bowed their heads to her before Lan took the tray to the table, lifting various dishes off it and arranging a proper setting for the Waterbender. Katara moved forward, sitting down on the cushion, wondering what the physician was doing here.

"May I sit down, my lady?" he asked. She nodded before he sat down across from her. Lan moved over to the wall, sitting on the floor with her hands folded on her lap, her head slightly bowed and her eyes fixed on the floor.

"I thought we might have a bit of a talk." Sylid said, his voice a whisper so that they could talk privately even with Lan in the same room as them. Katara remembered Imperial protocol well – a woman was not to be alone with a man that was not her husband or relation. She nodded as she glanced at him.

"Is supper to your liking? I can get something else." he offered. She glanced down at the food.

"No, it's fine. It smells great."

"I'd hope so." he replied dryly, "After all, the Fire Lord has only the finest chefs in his employ."

"I'd think so." she replied just as dryly. A faint smile tugged at Sylid's thin lips.

"I came up here to see how you feel and to make sure you were doing fine, considering recent events."

"After being kidnapped, how am I supposed to feel?" She was calm and polite, but bluntly honest. His mention of the situation stirred up her irritation and anger with the Fire Lord. "I need to get out of here."

"I'm sorry my lady, but I will have to keep you from doing that should you attempt to do so. I am responsible for your well-being and safety." he whispered firmly, but his tone remained kind.

"I never asked for any of this."

"Almost nobody gets what they ask for, my lady. That is the reality of life. Harsh at times yes, but at other times it is a blessing." Sylid shrugged and shook his head slightly, "You happen to be the Fire Lord's consort, my lady. Given the understanding of what happened between you and the Avatar, I can't blame the Fire Lord for what he did. It wouldn't be the first time a man has used force to get a woman he desired."

Katara scoffed quietly.

"You may interpret the situation as you will, but the Fire Lord does care for you. So often, the kidnapping of a woman is done out of lust or power. But you are more than a trophy. The Fire Lord is above using his power in petty ways. A far more powerful motive spurred him to these actions. I can tell you, in all of my years, I have seen the gleam of love few enough times in people's eyes."

She stared at him for a few moments.

"Who said anything about love?" she finally muttered. Aang had told her he loved her many times? Zuko? Not once.

"It is evident in the Fire Lord's body language, but don't think that means it's obvious to everyone, you know that he is good at hiding his emotions…" he said. Katara nodded and he continued, "But as his physician, I notice the subtle signs that no one else would care about. He has been agitated since he left Sozun and more so as he came closer to Mentat. He looks at you in a way that I have never seen him look at anyone else, and I could see that it bothered him every time you cried out for the Avatar. He could have chosen anyone to be his consort, yet he chose you. You are very special to him. A consort is someone set apart for the Fire Lord alone, and it is a honored position. He is allowed to take concubines even when he has a consort, however I highly doubt Lord Zuko would take concubines, not when he has you. He has eyes for you alone, my lady."

"He'll get bored of me eventually." Katara sighed, "The novelty of having a Water Tribe woman will wear off and he will no longer be so interested in my so-called exotic appearance and my bold personality. The thrill of the chase has to wear off one day. There are plenty of women at the court more beautiful than I." Lan came to mind, and she glanced over at the maidservant.

"You are more than a novelty, my lady. You are full of fire and defiance, and the Lord admires that. I could see even as the two of you sparred on the deck with your Bending abilities that he enjoyed your strength. If he had not wanted you to fight, he would have ordered the guards to take you down. But, he chose to fight you on his own. You are a match for him and I can see the fire in your eyes. You two have been separated since his Agni Kai, yet he still wants you and went to all this trouble for you. He wouldn't be doing that if he didn't truly want you."

She sighed softly and looked out the window again. Why was this man being so nice? They barely knew each other. She looked down at her food, stirring her bowl of egg-drop soup.

"May I be candid with you?" Sylid asked. She nodded.

"I personally believe you are the best choice for Lord Zuko. I sincerely hope you will view him as the best choice for you sooner or later, preferably sooner. He truly does care for you. Very few women would know such fierce devotion from any man. You will stay with him and I will serve you and provide aid, but if you make any attempt to escape, I will stop you."

Katara stared at him for several moments before looking down at her food, sprinkling some wonton noodles on her soup and stirring it in. She had also been given a warm spiced roll, some steamed vegetables, and a goblet with what appeared to be wine.

"My lady, are you feeling well? I am not just asking to be polite and respectful. I am now your physician, and your health is my responsibility. Any health concern you should have, always come to me and I will serve you to my fullest capacity." the man said kindly.

"Fine, I guess. I had a slight headache this morning, but now it's gone. Otherwise I'm okay." she shrugged. He nodded. He remained quiet as she ate some of her soup and dipped her roll into it. The warmth spread through her stomach, and she welcomed the sensation of hot food sliding down her throat. The wine she had been given had been diluted with fruit juice, and it tasted very good.

"May I ask a question?" Sylid asked politely.

"I guess. Go ahead."

"You do not have to answer if it is too personal, but how long have you loved the Fire Lord?"

"Love?" Katara asked simply, shaking her head, "You mean, how long had we been lovers…?"

"I mean the emotion, I noticed even though you are angry with him, you also hold affection for him and were somewhat glad to see him. I would even say that… you seemed almost relieved."

"I don't know." she replied simply, "I really don't…" Was what she felt for Zuko love? Was that possible?

"Perhaps you may wish to consider telling him, it may make things easier between you two."

"No." Katara said with an edge of anger in her voice. How dare he say she loved Zuko? Her outburst caused Lan's head to snap up, but Sylid waved an arm, motioning the maid to stay where she was.

"There is no need to be angry and defensive with me, my lady. Everything we speak of is in the strictest confidence. I am merely giving you advice. Let me ask you something else, and again you do not have to answer it if you do not wish to. You dreamed of having children and a loving husband, yes?"

"I'm going for a walk." Katara said, putting an abrupt halt to the conversation. Sylid nodded, deciding to not press her on the subject.

"As you wish, my lady." he said as he quickly walked over to the door, opening it for her. She bowed her head slightly in thanks and passed through. He fell in step behind her quietly as Lan moved forward to clear the table. She was aware of his presence, but chose to not make a big deal out of it.

She walked along the deck silently, seeing a few other soldiers, but no Fire Lord. On impulse she looked up over her shoulder, seeing the structure that rose out of the middle of the boat, and there he was, standing on the balcony. She quickly looked back down, staring at the metal plates, letting herself be calmed by the slight swaying of the boat.

The metal deck was cold under her bare feet, but she did not utter one word of complaint. She just wanted to be outside where she could feel at least somewhat free, and the breeze, even a bit too cool, was welcome. Her hands found the railing on the side of the deck and she let out a soft sigh as she leaned against it. Sylid kept close but at a respectful distance, minding her personal space.

"Are you cold? Would you like my jacket?" Sylid touched the fur lining the front of his knee-length jacket, his breath coming out in a soft mist. Katara could not help but be touched by his thoughtfulness.

"No, thank you. I'm more used to this cold than you are." she said with a small smile. He smiled back, relieved to see that she was in a decent mood.

"You look as if you have the weight of the world on your shoulders." the physician commented gently.

"That's what it feels like…" she sighed.

"Would you like to talk about it? I will not say anything to anyone else, and will listen it is after all what a doctor does. I maintain my policy on doctor-patient confidentiality and you can trust me."

She remained silent.

"I know that you and Zuko have been arguing, and you keep pushing him away. You feel that you have been stripped of your freedom and you will feel very homesick and out of place in Sozun."

"You're right on all counts…" Katara whispered as she looked out at the moon.

"My lady? Lord Zuko's eyes light up whenever you are around. A Fire Lord's life is never easy. The Avatar can travel wherever he wishes to go, but the Fire Lord watches over an entire nation and is responsible for that nation. Often, there are leaders who are either weak and make terrible mistakes, or leaders like Sozin and Ozai who desire power and conquest. Then there are Lords like Zuko who work hard at trying to do what is best for their country, and they often neglect themselves in the process. As his physician I notice this, he gets very stressed sometimes and even though he gets exhausted, he still has a hard time sleeping and he gets very irritable sometimes because of this. He needs someone who will welcome him into her arms and listen to him and comfort him and make him feel young again, for I know that the Fire Lord feels very old at times, as if he has been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulder for what seems like forever."

Katara turned around slowly and he looked into her eyes, holding her attention.

"It has been said in the past that behind every great man there is an equally great woman standing there, waiting to catch him when he falls, waiting to give him strength and advice when he needs it. For Zuko to choose you as his consort, a woman from the Water Tribe, is something that in and of itself is not only amazing, it is something that shows how much he cares about you, because being his consort means you are queen to all of the Fire Nation. That is one of two reasons why I call you lady. The other is because I respect you."

"Why would you respect me?" she asked as she leaned against the railing, thinking of his words. Queen of the Fire Nation? She had never imagined herself like that, and it terrified her.

"You may not know much about warfare or about being a leader since you were not born into Fire Nation or into a powerful family, but you possess one true element that makes all the difference…" he smiled at her, "you care about those under you. You do not judge someone just because of their background or position. You're not prejudiced like the Avatar, you do not look at me or the Fire Lord with hate or revulsion despite your anger. You don't care if someone is a servant or noble, people are all the same to you and you look at them closely before you judge them. You have a heart." Sylid said. She allowed herself a small smile.

"Once the people see that, they will love and respect you, not because you hold power over us, but because you care about our welfare. That is a credit to you, and for Zuko to have chosen you means he believes you are worthy to be the Queen of the Fire Nation. It may not seem like it now, but you like he can do a lot of good with the power you wield. Is that not enough to replace what you feel you have lost? Knowing that there are those who would trust you enough with their lives to fight and die at your command, myself included?"

She took a deep breath, not knowing what to say. He stood there respectfully, allowing her some time to respond.

"I can't take responsibility for so many lives." Katara replied with a shake of her head.

"Yes you can…" he smiled reassuringly, "you have a strong will and I can see the intelligence that shines in your eyes."

"You flatter me." she said, looking down shyly.

"Most of those who jealously vie for the Fire Lord's attention believe that soldiers and the military in general are expendable. They do not concern themselves with the safety of the Fire Nation or of the working class. They do not patrol and keep people safe, and to them, we were just pawns as it was when Sozun and Ozai lived. You and Fire Lord Zuko are different and we would be proud and honored to serve under you just as much as we are proud and honored to serve under Zuko."

"I... I don't know what to say…" she whispered as his words sunk in. To have someone like this, an important Fire Nation man, speak to her so respectfully...

"Most of the Fire Nation soldiers share my opinion as well as the Fire Lord's of the Nation and its people. The ones who did not are no longer in a position to do anything. Fire Lord Zuko does what the Avatar could never do and that is lead us instead of condemn us as butchers and barbarians and look at us with disgust. And you could do the same." he said. She nodded silently.

"My lady? Please talk to the Fire Lord. He does genuinely care for you, but he is frustrated. It's because he worries you will try to leave him again. What can the Avatar give you? His love is to be for the entire world, not for one person. Whereas with Fire Lord Zuko you would have someone who cares about you who would quite literally go to the end of all the nations to find you."

"Even then I can't just abandon Aang. He will come after me, how can he not after what happened last night?"

"His role in life has been designed for a solitary path, especially given current circumstances. I think you know that deep down, even though you try not to admit that because of what happened to you before. But that's all over. Things are different and this time for the better."

Katara looked away, saying nothing. She knew Aang needed her, his love and need for her shone in his big gray eyes. But what Sylid said made sense, especially considering Aang's work in life. And she saw the need in Zuko's eyes as well, a need that she felt herself wanting to respond to.

The physician fell silent, standing nearby, keeping a eye on Katara in the slim chance that she decided to chuck herself overboard, which he really didn't think was likely. But he was a careful man and knew she was going through a wide range of emotions. After a while, he heard someone clear his throat. They turned to see the Fire Lord.

"My lord." Sylid said with a salute. Zuko nodded briefly in acknowledgment before dismissing him. Katara gave Sylid a slight wave and he smiled at her kindly, returning the gesture before he left them.

There were a few moments of silence between the couple as Zuko gazed at her intently. She kept her own averted, staring past him to the other side of the deck and what lay beyond.

"Hello." Zuko said quietly, inclining his head a bit.

"Hi." Katara replied in an even softer tone of voice, bowing her head. She had been avoiding him all day, and she was afraid of what she might see in his eyes. She waited for him to make the first word or move and she could feel her heart pounding in anticipation. Would he try to get her in bed again or argue with her because she had been hiding from him?

The Fire Lord looked down at her for a few moments before stepping forward and taking her into his arms, holding her close, feeling her warm body against his own and how it felt right.

He smiled when he felt her arms wrap around his middle, her face nestling against his chest.


	6. 05

**Volcano**

Chapter 05

o0o0o0o

Zuko said nothing as one if his hands reached up to gently stroke her hair. His chin lightly rested on the top of her head, and he closed his eyes, inhaling the faint scent of the woman he loved. His other hand was on her back, and he could feel her trying to hold back a sob. Still he remained silent, rubbing her back and letting this gesture speak for him as he felt her release her sob softly, burying her face in his chest.

"I am here, Tara." Zuko whispered, stroking her hair, "You are safe. You don't have to run anymore." he said softly. She continued crying quietly. He embraced her more tightly, letting her cry as he rubbed her back reassuringly. This worked rather quickly, as her sobs died after only a couple of minutes.

When he was sure he had calmed her down enough, he loosened his hold and lifted her chin as he looked down at her, kissing away her tears. Her gaze wavered a bit, first looking at his chest then at the sky before their gazes met, and they simply stared for a few moments, getting lost in the eyes of the other. He smiled faintly as he felt her fingers on his cheek, and he nodded before taking her hand and kissing the fingertips.

"I love you." he whispered. Her eyes widened, and he felt her tremble.

"Zuko..." Her voice was soft and breathy. She parted her lips, but no sound came out. When Aang had said it, sure, it made her feel nice, but hearing these words from Zuko...

It affected her far more profoundly than she would have ever expected. Her heart felt as if it might burst from her chest, and she found herself unable to breathe. She looked up into his eyes, trying to speak, but she couldn't even make the slightest sound.

"I love you." he repeated more firmly. She nodded, reaching up to cup his face with her hands.

"Zu..." she managed to say. He smiled faintly at this abbreviation of his name. He would have liked for her to say she loved him, but he could see that she was overwhelmed with emotion. That in itself was hardly an inappropriate response. He leaned down to press his lips to her forehead, rubbing her arms.

"Are you going to deny us?" he asked quietly. She slowly shook her head, and he flashed her a brief but warm smile. He lifted one hand to run his fingers along her cheek.

"I missed you. I always did." Katara said quietly, looking down and nervously twirling a strand of her thick hair. He nodded, pulling her close again.

"I missed you too. But of course, you know that." He rubbed her back. After a few moments, she spoke again.

"You know... there were times when I actually considered simply turning myself in..."

Zuko nodded, not asking her why she didn't or passing any judgment on her. He already knew.

"I know you were scared. You don't have to be, okay? Not anymore." he assured her. She nodded quietly as she stared up at him, her eyes luminous in the moonlight.

"There were times I missed you so much… and I wished I was with you so I could hear you and see you and feel you touch me…"

"You don't have to wish any more." he replied. She smiled before looking down shyly. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before standing behind her on the railing. Both of them looked out at the moon and ocean as he felt her lean against him. He had done this with her a long time ago, and he gave out a contented sigh as he felt her lean into him.

The Waterbender looked up at the moon quietly, feeling his arms wrapped loosely around her middle. It felt _right_.

Was Zuko really the one for her? She had been thinking all day when she had been alone in the cabin and during her time with Lan, considering all they had discussed and what she had been through with both Zuko and Aang, and thinking about how they both treated her as a friend, a person, and as a lover. At times with the Avatar, she felt like a mother, comforting Aang or taking care of him, and other times, when he insisted on protecting her or keeping her close she felt like a little girl. She didn't feel like a mother or child to Zuko. She had grown to become his closest friend and confidante during their time on the ship, and when she had lived in Sozun she listened to his problems, and he had always tried his best to help her feel better when she was confined and unhappy. He had protected her and kept her safe without making her feel like a child.

The couple simply stood there for a while in comfortable silence, taking in the presence of the other. Her back was now pressed to his chest, and she felt his chin on the top of her head lightly, his arms around his middle. She breathed in the fresh night air, listening to the ocean and looking at the night sky. And at that moment, Katara didn't want to be anywhere else.

She felt his fingers intertwine with hers and she smiled, squeezing back.

He placed a light kiss on the top of her head before lowering his head to kiss her right earlobe. He was delighted when she tilted her head to give him more access.

The Fire Lord's lips traveled from her ear down the side of her neck, placing tender kisses along the route as his nose lightly pressed against the skin, taking in her scent.

Zuko felt his body respond to all of this, and he pressed against her, hearing a soft gasp escape her throat. She made no move to resist and instead turned her head to nuzzle him, her nose and lips pressing against the side of his face along his scar, sending thrills all the way up and down his spine. His embrace became tighter, as if he was afraid she might flee as the moment intensified.

"Tara…" Zuko moaned, reveling in her responsiveness. She didn't protest the use of this nickname as she had at first and infact hearing him say it made her feel warm inside.

"Yes…" she asked, feeling a delicious, intense tingle down there that she hadn't felt since last time she had been with him intimately.

"I want you." Zuko said quietly as he placed a kiss at the area where her neck connected to her shoulder. She whimpered and nodded.

"Do you want me?" he asked in a heated whisper, his breath feeling hot against her flesh. She shuddered in delight as one of his hands slid down across her lower abdomen to her groin, rubbing her slowly through the robe and pants she was wearing.

The Water Tribe woman arched against him, twisting around in his embrace. She nodded eagerly as she felt the gentle pressure between her legs. His hand was moving in slow circles, his fingertips pressing against her sensitive area. She hissed softly, rocking her hips against the gentle pressure Zuko exerted on her, and a disappointed moan escaped her throat as he withdrew this hand. She could feel his arousal press against the area just above her buttocks, and she rocked against that slowly, smirking to herself as she heard him groan and felt him shudder.

Suddenly he withdrew, and she no longer felt his lips or hands or arousal – or anything at all. She whimpered softly, turning around. But he hadn't left. He was now standing just a couple of steps away from her, his hand stretched out in invitation.

Katara blushed and looked up into his eyes, seeing his need and longing for her. Her smaller hand slid onto his palm, and he gave her a fond smile as his fingers wrapped around it.

The trip back to Zuko's bedchamber was quick and silent, and as soon as he closed the door, he locked it before turning towards her. She shivered as she gazed into molten pools of gold that glinted with desire.

**(HOT, SIZZLING ZUTARA SMEXY STEAM SMEX! You know where to find it, go to my profile for the link...) **

She would never, _ever_ forget this night, and hearing Zuko roar as he came with fire spurting out of his mouth was a memory she would always savor. She hoped he would do it again in the future. Knowing that she had been the cause of that just made her feel more proud of herself.

She felt… happy and complete. There was no doubt about it. He completed her as she completed him, and she was not going to deny it. Even though he was arrogant, hard and brash at times, he was a good man. He could have destroyed Aang when he had the chance, but spared him instead. And he had indeed kept her safe in Sozun.

Katara had no reason to think he was lying when he told her he loved her. He had always been honest with her, even if the truth hurt.

But she had not been honest, not to him or herself or Aang. The Avatar had been her lover, but she only considered him a best friend, nothing more. That was how she had always considered him even when they shared the same bed. She had lied to herself when she tried to convince herself that she did not need Zuko. No matter how many times she tried to delude herself or quash her feelings, they had always been there. She had missed Zuko and needed him.

Her hand slid from his chest to his arm and up his shoulder and neck, gently caressing his face as he looked down at her quietly.

"Zuko?" she asked softly.

"Yes?"

"…I love you."

Zuko stared down at her silently for a moment before large and brilliant smile crept across his face. She found her heart flutter at the sight. He had such a beautiful smile and since he smiled so rarely she treasured these. His happy expression was as radiant as the sun, and she basked in his joy.

"Katara... you've made me the happiest man in the world." he murmured as he caressed her cheek. She smiled and nuzzled that hand.


	7. 06

**Volcano**

Chapter 06

o0o0o0o

The Fire Lord looked down at his Waterbender, their limbs tangled together comfortably as they lay there, basking in the afterglow of their pleasure. Katara had her eyes closed as Zuko stroked her cheek with his fingers, relishing her warm and welcoming presence. He had missed her so much that it actually hurt, and now he had her again. His biggest fear had not been for himself but for her – he had been terrified that something would happen to his beloved Waterbender out there and she would be hurt seriously or die, and therefore be lost to him forever. Ironically, he knew he should be grateful to the Avatar for being so protective of her.

Now that she was here, he would guard her closely and make sure nothing would ever come close to harming her or take her away from him.

Katara opened her eyes and lifted her face, looking up at him silently. He savored the feeling of staring into blue eyes again, _her_ blue eyes, and he kissed her forehead before running his finger along her lips and then kissing her there.

Her hand slowly slid along his chest and neck to touch his face, and her nose touched his in a sweetly familiar gesture they had done sometimes before when they were simply sharing gentle moments together. It was unbelievable how much she had missed him, and how wonderful it felt to be with him again and feel his warmth encompass her.

She took his hand and nuzzled it as she kissed it, looking up at him. He gazed into her eyes and pressed against her, showing her that despite their intense session just minutes earlier, he was not quite sated, and she nodded as eagerly as he wrapped his arms around her, his lips descending onto her flesh with a fierce hunger that she was happy to feed.

o0o0o0o

When Katara opened her eyes, it took her a few moments to register just where she was. When she realized where she was, a small smile crept across her face. She took in metal walls, thick red hangings, a beautiful red and gold rug on the floor, and a soft bed against her skin. But what she took in most of all was the warmth that surrounded her and held her close. She looked down, seeing a thick and soft blanket draped across her form up to her shoulders, and felt an arm around her middle and warm breath on her shoulder.

She still had concerns about life in the Fire Nation, but she felt completely satisfied to be in Zuko's arms. His warmth encompassed her and gave her a sense of satisfaction that she had never had before. She simply lay there for a while as he slept, listening to his breath and feeling his heartbeat on her back.

The silk against her naked skin felt good. She had almost forgotten how good silk could feel, for she had never worn it or slept on it once since she had left Sozun.

After a while, she carefully extricated herself from his hold and made her way to the washroom, wincing only a bit as she felt the soreness between her legs. Zuko had taken her several times through the night, alternating between gentle and fierce, and she had loved and needed it all, welcoming him to her body openly. The lingering soreness was really nothing, a tiny price to pay for such pleasure.

She went through her usual morning routine, relieving herself and taking care of the mess Zuko had left there, cleaning her teeth, and washing her face and hands before she came out, seeing him still asleep. She walked over to the foot of the bed and stared at him silently, taking in his handsome features and how peaceful he looked amidst the soft bedding.

Katara found Zuko's robe on the floor and picked it up, sliding it onto her own body and savoring the feeling of the soft fabric. The faint scent of his distinct odor tickled her nose when she rubbed the sleeve against her cheek, and she smiled to herself as she sniffed the fabric, catching a touch of smoke and spice. She had indeed missed his scent, and wrapped the robe around herself more tightly as she moved over to the window, pulling the drapes aside just a little to look outside.

Zuko stirred as he came awake, stretching out before he brought his arm back down, looking for his mate. He frowned when he found nothing but an empty space, and he groped around a bit before he flashed his eyes open in alarm. Had Katara somehow escaped him…_again_?

"Katara!" he hissed softly as he pulled himself to a sitting position. He looked around frantically. A sliver of light caught his eye and he turned his head, seeing the drapes slightly open…and much to his relief, there she was. After looking at her a little more, he realized she was in his robe, and he could not help but smirk a little.

"Katara." Zuko called out softly. The dark-skinned woman turned back to him, looking at him quietly. He raised his hand, beckoning to her. She moved across the floor gracefully, coming to the bed before he reached out and pulled her onto the blankets. She smiled as she looked down at Zuko and gave him a loving nuzzle, placing kisses along the side of his face.

"Good morning." she said softly as she caressed his cheek. Zuko looked back up at her, taking pleasure in the warm way that she greeted him.

"Good morning, Tara." he murmured, pulling her even closer. It was amazing how when he thought she had run away again, how he had reacted so quickly with panic running through his mind. No one else had that kind of effect on him.

He stared at her as he stroked her cheek, enjoying the feel of her flesh under his hand. He noticed that she had a contemplative expression on her face and her eyes were not exactly fixed on him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked and she sighed softly.

"I have a question to ask."

"Yes?" he asked. She looked down silently. He took this in and sat up, looking down at her and stroking her cheek in an attempt to reassure her.

"Tell me what it is." Zuko asked. She remained silent for a few moments before speaking.

"When… when we go back to Sozun… will I go back to… being a concubine?" she asked softly. He stared for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, Tara. When I said you were my wife, I meant it. No more white face paint for you, no more confinement, no more of any of that, it's all over. My sire is dead. You will be my consort proper, not just in my bed but in title. The Palace and grounds will be yours to explore and roam. It's what I said before, you are not a prisoner or slave. You will enjoy all the rights and privileges of the Fire :Lady. You will be the most high-ranked woman in the Nation."

He watched as Katara's shoulders slumped in relief. She lay her head against his chest, closing her eyes. He rubbed her back, knowing she always loved it when he did that, and he watched as a small smile appeared on her face.

"Things will be okay." he reassured her, his hand sliding along her back.

"What if the nobles do not approve?"

"They have no say in the matter whatsoever and there are many new faces at Court, faces that belong to people that are not so narrow-minded."

She nodded quietly, remaining curled up to him, and he brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face as she looked up at him.

"Warm. Always warm." Katara whispered as she wiggled against him. He smirked at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt nice to be appreciated for such a simple reason.

o0o0o0o

"Get dressed, I want to show you something. Although you _do_ look good in my robe…" Zuko said as he held that smirk on his face. She blushed and looked away shyly, but not before gracing him with one of her smiles. Full from a wonderful and warm breakfast, she slid off the bed and went to the chest that sat in the corner. The day before, when she had first seen it, it had been familiar to her and she wasn't sure why. But she had come to recognize it as the one that Iroh bought her during her previous time on Zuko's ship.

Before the Fire Lord left Sozun, he had Lan pack it, instructing her to include everything a woman would need. She hadn't really explored its contents the day before, but now she spent several minutes rummaging through the chest. There were different outfits – robes, tunics, pants, a few nice gowns and the like along with plenty of silk underwear. She smiled faintly to herself as she pulled out a chemise and matching above-the-knee pantaloons to wear under a comfortable dark red tunic, robe, and pants. Everything felt so nice under her fingers, even the few linen or cotton articles she found folded amongst the finer materials because they were so well-made.

She felt the Fire Lord's gaze on her as his robe slipped off her shoulders. Acting as if he was not there, she casually slipped on her underwear before dressing herself. Her robe was bordered with black velvet, and she ran her fingers along it for several moments, luxuriating in its soft elegance. Yeah. She could _definitely_ get used to this...

o0o0o0o

When Zuko had left her alone the day before and given her freedom to explore the ship, she had done so, but had not fully explored said opportunity. There was still plenty of interesting things that she had not seen.

"Close your eyes." Zuko whispered as he led her to the second floor of the stack which she had simply passed by when she came downstairs from his room to the deck. She nodded and did so, and felt him carefully guide her through a door and into a room as she felt a soft rug under her slippered feet.

"Open your eyes." he whispered, placing his hands on her shoulders. She did as he asked, and gasped softly at the sight before her. Slowly she stepped across the rug, staring at the sight before her as Zuko took in her awe with a small smile on his face.

Centered in the room was what looked like a very large glass box, and inside of it was water and the most exotic fish she had ever seen in her life. Her hand reached out to touch the glass, her fingers resting against its cool surface as she stared with amazement.

The bottom of the encasement came to just below her hips as it was supported on a metal platform, and was generously lined with pebbles, sand, some seaweed, and a few pieces of coral and rocks along with a miniature mansion painted red and gold. The large panels were generous with their light to the tank, since the reinforcing metal bars had been arranged as such to give both optimal support and lighting. The fish themselves were brightly colored and she stared at them, transfixed as Zuko came up behind her.

The Fire Lord knew she would like seeing this. The glass was triple-paned so there was no worry of breakage, and the dimensions were generous so as to give the fish lots of room. The little mansion was hollow, so fish could go in and out as they pleased.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Zuko asked quietly. She nodded mutely. There were no such fish to be found in the Antarctic regions, or most other areas of the world. The rich, tropical clime of the Fire Islands made the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of flora and fauna that would have otherwise perished even in the milder areas of the Earth Kingdoms.

"Would you like one of these?" Zuko asked quietly.

"At the Palace?" she asked and Zuko nodded.

"I...Zuko? That would be really nice." she said with a smile full of appreciation.

"Good… because there's already one in the front room of the Palace." he said with a small smirk. She looked up at him with surprise evident in her face.

"I had it set up because I had… thought that you would like it and it would make you… feel happier in Sozun." Zuko said softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders again, his breath hot against her temple, "And when I found myself missing you, I would look at that tank. And it might surprise you, but some of the courtiers and servants have actually come to enjoy looking at it."

"Really? Looking at this made you think of me?"

"How could it not?" Zuko asked softly, "How could I not think of you every time I saw the ocean from my balcony, or whenever I drank water from my cup?"

Katara couldn't help but smile wistfully as he said these things.

"Every time I warmed myself with a fire, I thought of you." she admitted quietly. He pressed her lips against her temple. Her attention returned to the fish and she noticed a new one that must have been hiding just before, amazed at its appearance. It was red with its fins fading to gold at the tips, and it looked like it was made of fire.

"That one is my favorite." Zuko whispered, and she looked at him with a small smile.

"It's not hard to see why." she replied as she saw a bright blue fish with teal-colored fins approach the red one almost shyly.

His hands wrapped around her waist and he held her close, feeling her lithe form pressed against his as her hands settled onto his own, and she leaned her head back against his shoulder as they observed the goings-on in the tank.

o0o0o0o

The ship would arrive at the next island on their stop the next day, both to restock on perishables and to ensure that the town on that island was faring well and was peaceful. Zuko wanted to ensure that the peace that he sought for was being maintained, and even though there were skirmishes and the Earth Kingdom was wary of the Fire Nation – it had not even been three years after all – things were considerably better than they had been under Ozai's reign.

Zuko had gone off with Sylid and several other men to discuss the security measures and what else they needed, and Katara was left to herself to do as she pleased.

Well, not alone entirely. He kept true to his word about keeping her under close guard, and now there was a guard following her, although he kept a respectful distance from her. Out on the deck, feeling the breeze on her face she could not help but wonder about Aang. Was he still stuck in Mentat, or was he out searching for her at the moment?

She played a game of Pai Sho with Lan as they chatted a bit about their respective cultures. It was nice to have the company of such a pleasant woman, and they shared a cup of tea before she dismissed her servant.

A new soldier came up and touched the other soldier on the shoulder, taking his place. The first soldier saw nothing out of the ordinary, and went to lunch.

After a while, she walked along the side of the ship, making her way to the back. No guards stood in her way, and there were only a few of them in the rear. They bowed their heads to her before resuming their work.

She walked to the very back of the ship, leaning against the railing and looking out at the water, seeing the wake and foam caused by the propellers and feeling the presence of her personal guard. He followed her more closely than the other one, and she turned around quickly, shooting him a curious glance. He had on that white mask under his helmet and she frowned a little. There was something not quite right about his demeanor, and when he approached, she backed away.

His hand descended on her shoulder without warning and she jerked a little in surprise. Was he going to hurt her? Her first thought was to Bend up some water and defend herself, but then he spoke.

"I've been so worried about you. Ready to leave?" he whispered. Katara stared at him with wide eyes.

"…Aang?" she whispered. His hand went up to slide the faceplate away, revealing soft gray eyes.


	8. 07

**Volcano**

Chapter 07

o0o0o0o

"Oh, Aang…" Katara whispered when she saw his face. Just a couple of nights before, she would have been more than overjoyed to see him and all too happy to let him carry her off. Now she did not know whether to be relieved or dismayed by his presence. He nodded, his lips spreading into a sweet, gentle smile she had seen so many times before. Only this time, this smile did not reassure her.

"How did you…" Wouldn't they have seen him approach them and shot him down?

"I'll tell you later. Right now let's just get out of here…" the Avatar whispered as he reached for her.

When the Avatar came back to, after Zuko knocked him out, he found himself back in the inn that he and Katara had been staying at. The innkeeper felt remorseful about letting the Fire Nation troops did what they did, and he had used his tools to remove the cuffs on his hands and feet. He had fed Aang and given him extra supplies at no charge, and a full refund for the inn room along with the gold that had been given to him for his complicity in the Fire Lord's raid..

The innkeeper had also been able to point out the general direction that Zuko's ship had sailed off in, and the Avatar had flown Appa within a certain distance. The flying bison remained out of the ship's sight, and Aang had used his Air and Waterbending abilities to go under the water, keeping himself in a air bubble as he moved to the ship. He had waited until the dead of the night to do this feat, and Airbended himself up the side of the ship, sneaking into a supply room and stealing a uniform.

He had to hide in storage for a bit as he donned the armor, which thankfully was only just a bit too big for him and then he had been careful, staying out of everyone's way and keeping an eye out. There had been a close call, and he feared that he would be found out. When Katara came out onto the dock for a walk…

Aang had been worried about that, because he had not known whether Zuko would be keeping her confined or not and he was wary, being careful around the guards as he tried to catch snippets of their conversations.

Now that she was with him, he could Airbend them both off the ship and away from Zuko to a waiting Appa. He reached for her arm, grasping it gently. She looked so different in red and black, and to him it did not look right. Fortunately, he had a spare set of clothing for her, and he was certain she would be glad to change out of Fire Nation attire.

"Aang, if Zuko catches you..." Katara said fearfully, her eyes wide with shock and concern.

"He won't. Because we're getting out of here right now." Aang declared as he finally removed the helmet. He did not like how it interfered with his vision, and it was too big for him. He let go of her arm and wrapped his arm around her middle.

"No, wait!" she gasped.

"Going somewhere?" a cool voice called out. Katara gasped softly as she looked over Aang's shoulder, seeing the Fire Lord, the Colonel, and quite a few soldiers. The Fire Lord's eyes were narrowed dangerously, and Katara knew that things looked bad right now – it looked as if she was going to run away. She prayed silently that she could make him see that it was not so.

Aang stared at him defiantly, and Katara felt his arm tighten around her waist as he moved his other arm, about to Airbend. The soldiers took stances, flames already dancing in their hands.

"Aang..." she whispered nervously as she eyed all the Firebenders.

"We're leaving." he replied firmly before Sylid nodded at one of the other men. Katara noticed that he had his arm raised.

"Aang, he's going to shoot!" she said panickedly as she looked at him and then at Zuko, her wide and scared eyes meeting his narrowed ones.

"Take the shot." Zuko ordered. As the man pulled the trigger on his gauntlet, Aang formed a wind blast before yelping as an arrow was fired from a different man. Katara realized that the first one had been merely to divert attention.

Aang howled in pain and fell. Katara gasped when she saw a dart that more or less resembled a small arrow sticking out of his arm. She immediately went to his arm, trying to extract the arrow. He gritted his teeth in pain as Katara attended to him even as Zuko and several of the other men closed in on them.

"Sh, Aang, I'll take care of you…" Katara whispered, pulling out the offending projectile. Aang nodded, straightening again as he took ahold of the Waterbender.

"You are instructed to do what is necessary to take the Avatar down, providing my consort is unharmed." Zuko said in a loud and clear voice as the Avatar raised his arm, a sphere of air starting to form around the couple even as another arrow narrowly missed them.

Zuko aimed a careful blast of fire and it collided with Aang's still-forming air sphere, startling the Avatar and allowing another small arrow to hit his other arm. As he gave out a soft gasp of pain, the Fire Lord darted forward and gave the Avatar a quick but forceful chop on the side of his neck. The Colonel was already at hand, forcing the contents of a vial into Aang's mouth much as he had done to Katara.

The Water Tribe woman cried out in surprise as she was suddenly yanked away from Aang, and she watched in horror as he struggled against the drug, trying to stay awake as he reached for her, his hand shaking slightly and his arm bleeding.

"Let me go!" she cried out. Aang struggled weakly as the drug took over his consciousness as Sylid nodded to two men. They took hold of the Avatar as he lost all energy to fight.

"Please don't hurt him!" she cried out, struggling against the men holding her as the Colonel glanced at her for a moment before turning back to Zuko. The Fire Lord ignored her struggles, his jaw set and a hard glint in his eyes as he glanced at the Avatar.

"What shall I do with the Avatar, my lord?" Sylid asked. Zuko glanced at the Avatar again before he looked back at Katara.

"Please." the Waterbender whispered. Zuko was silent for a few moments before he looked back at Sylid.

"Attend to his wounds and shackle him heavily. Secure him in a cell. You are dismissed." the Fire Lord ordered calmly. The Colonel nodded.

"As you wish, my lord." Sylid said with a bow of his head before he motioned to the guards holding Aang. They started walking, presumably to the holding area of the ship.

"Take the lady to my cabin." Zuko ordered with a wave of his hand. The men holding her fell in step, with her offering no resistance. She knew there was no use in fighting, so she simply walked with her own feet instead of letting them drag her. Zuko followed behind them and as the guards placed her into his rooms and stepped out. He locked the door and dismissed them.

Suddenly, banging came from the other side of the door.

"Let me out!" Katara cried out, her fists slamming against the cold metal. Zuko stiffened as he listened to her pleas and turned away, walking down the hall and making his way to the brig. The Fire Lord watched silently as Sylid finished wrapping Aang's wounds before the boy was secured with several chains. He had already been stripped of all his armor by the men that had carried him and frisked for any hidden weapons by Sylid.

"He should be awake in a couple of hours." the physician stated calmly as he made one final check of the Avatar before stepping out of the cell. Zuko locked the door.

"How did he get on the ship?" the Fire Lord asked sharply as he and the Colonel walked down the hall.

"I truly do not know, my lord. If he were going to use his bison to approach the ship we would have noticed. And he could not have snuck on the ship when we were in Mentat, you knocked him out and we did not stay long after that." Sylid replied. Zuko nodded.

"I will interrogate him later when he comes to."

"As you wish, my lord."

"You are dismissed." Zuko stated. Sylid bowed.

o0o0o0o

It seemed to be a eternity that Katara had been locked in Zuko's chambers, when it really had been no more than ten or fifteen minutes. Her anxiety rose with each second that passed. She quickly rose from the sofa and moved to the window and looked outside. There were a few men on the dock, but nothing unusual.

The lock clicked open, and the door quickly admitted the Fire Lord before closing behind him. Hesitantly, she turned around as he strode into the bedroom, fixing his eyes on her. She let he head drop in a bow and it remained there as she wrung her hands nervously.

"After what we had talked about, I didn't think I would see you with _him_..." Zuko stated calmly. She shrunk back from him.

"I wasn't trying to. He surprised me... I came to the back of the ship to look at the engines and propellers, and then he took off his mask. I didn't know he was Aang until then!"

"I see." Zuko said with the same unreadable tone and she shrunk back further, thinking he might punish her. "Were you going to tell him to stop?" he asked. She flinched.

"I really was not trying to run away, Zuko. I didn't know it was him until a few minutes before you and Sylid showed up. I have no idea how he got to the ship or how he got armor. But I swear, I was not going to leave with him. I am finished with running away from you."

She felt his grip on her arm tighten as he tugged her over to the sofa and sat her down.

"Look at me." Zuko whispered. She did as he asked. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Please don't hurt him." Katara said softly. She winced as Zuko stiffened.

"And what should I do with him?" he growled, "He tried to take my consort from me! Should I just let that slide and act as if nothing ever happened?"

"Please." she begged again, softly. He stared off at the wall, clenching his jaw.

"Look, I know you are angry with him, but you left him in Mentat with chains around his hands and dragged me off. We both know that he would not... simply sit back quietly, not with what happened. He thought you were hurting me." she explained. Zuko remained silent.

"At least let me talk to him and tell him that I'm safe and I'm staying with you. Let me talk with him later to explain things, please. It's all I ask for."

The Fire Lord slowly turned back to her and stared at her for a few moments, his jaw set in a tight line. Katara feared that meant he would deny her request.

"Very well. But I will be in the chamber with you." Zuko replied.

"Thank you." Katara said, bowing her head in gratitude. There were so many things he could have done – kill the Avatar, say no to her, keep her chained among other things – he had the power to do as he pleased, but he was being considerate of her needs and giving her a chance. Zuko held out his arms, and she snuggled into his embrace.

o0o0o0o

Aang moaned softly as he came to. There was a dull ache in his arms and they felt weighted down. He lay there quietly for several moments, taking in everything. There was a swaying – just ever so slight but he could feel it – and the distant sounds of lapping waves and the rumble of an engine met his ears. With his nose and his fingers, he could sense the slight chill that pervaded the powerful hull of the ship.

"Katara…" he whispered.

"The Lady is with her Lord." he heard a voice reply from his left. He stirred again, opening his eyes to see a cell, one that was not unlike the one that Zuko had held him before. He furrowed his eyebrows in anger, feeling his power bubble up from within. He wanted to break out of these chains and out of this cell, he wanted to sweep through the ship and grab Katara and fly off to a place where not even the Fire Nation could find them.

"I would not recommend that." the voice continued. He turned his head to see the man who had forced the drug down his throat.

"Recommend what?" he whispered.

"I know you're thinking of taking the Lady again."

"You can't stop me." Aang said defiantly, even though he was weighed down. The chain attached to his left hand rattled as he tried to lift it, "What you and your Fire Lord did was wrong."

"As opposed to a mere child who took Katara away from the Fire Lord who as I remember, treated you and her brother rather fairly back when you were his prisoner. She belongs to him." the man replied calmly.

"I love her." the Avatar replied heatedly as some of his strength started to come back.

"She may have found contentment and security with you, but the Fire Lord will give her both and more. She feels for him the same way he feels for her."

"No! Her heart belongs to me! She was happy with me! You Fire Nationers have no right to just take what you want, even Zuko! I don't care if he's Fire Lord! He can't just snatch Katara from me!" he stated defiantly, gray eyes glinting with righteous anger.

"I do not deny what Sozin and Ozai did. But the current Fire Lord is working for better things."

"I did nothing to fight the Fire Nation when Zuko came to power. It's him who came after me and Katara!"

"You took the Fire Lord's consort and that is a crime. He is within every right to have you executed or tortured for that offense. Avatar or not, we do not see you as a legitimate authority figure. The war is over and Zuko is working to make things better. And he has taken Katara for his own – not even you can take away that claim."

"You talk about Katara as if she was a thing." Aang said icily, "I never treated her like a possession, I treated her like a human being…" He would never forget the first time he saw her mark, the horror he had felt when she revealed just where it had come from. He remembered her screams and cries as Zuko had pinned him to the ground and dragged her away.

"A consort is not a thing. A consort is another word for wife, and the Lady understands that. She is accepting of her situation and even embraces it."

"Wife?" Aang asked incredulously, "That is impossible! You took Katara away a couple of nights ago! She was nobody's wife!" he argued.

"She has been Zuko's consort for a long time, ever since he took her as his. She belongs to him, and he would not have gone to all this trouble if he wasn't serious about her. Now let us change the subject. Just how did you get on the ship?"

Aang glared at the man angrily. He would be damned if he explained how he had been able to sneak onto the ship! This man shook his head slowly.

"You do not have say in the matter, Avatar. Katara made her choice – she has chosen to accept her situation and she has stepped into her role as Fire Lady."

"But -" Aang protested, but the other man cut him off.

"Katara can tell you herself when she comes down here. Or when you are brought to see her, whatever the Fire Lord may decide."

"I want to see her now!"

"Only the Fire Lord can decide that. I suggest that you calm yourself now and just rest. And forget any plans about taking Katara. The Lord may be merciful and decide to let you go, or he may not. You committed a large transgression against him."

"You can't do that -"

"Calm yourself, or I will have to sedate you again." the man said coolly. Aang narrowed his eyes at him.

"And who are you?" he asked after a few moments.

"Do forgive me for not making the proper introductions as soon as you came to. I am Yan Jue Sylid, colonel and physician to the Fire Lord and Lady. We have seen one another before, but only briefly when I attended to you and the Lady's brother."

Aang stared at him for several moments, recognition settling in as he focused on Sylid's face.

"Tell me about Katara." he said, desperate for any information about his Waterbender, "Is she hurt? Is she -"

"She is well." Sylid said as he cut the Avatar off, "As you could have seen for yourself when you tried to abduct her -"

"She was wearing red clothes and she had a fire comb in her hair! What happened to the blue clothes I gave her!"

"They were dirtied when she fought with the Fire Lord…" he explained. Inwardly, Aang danced with glee. _Fighting with Zuko!_

"Fighting? What happened?" he asked. The doctor paused and considered the question before answering.

"Right before they were able to drag her onto the ship, Katara used water from the sides of the pier to attack Zuko, and it ensued into a full Bending battle. I was rather impressed by her ability and she gave the Fire Lord a good fight. But Zuko overcame her and won."

"Too bad she did not win." Aang spat out. The physician simply shrugged.

"She was a good fighter nonetheless. A very good match for the Fire Lord." Sylid replied. He had to hold back a chuckle at Aang's scowl.

"Accept the situation, Avatar. Your path was meant to be one walked alone. You have a greater responsibility to the world and you need to let go of what Ozai did to you and concentrate on the good that Zuko is trying to do. You may love Katara, but as the Avatar your love is supposed to be for the entire world. And if you expect to repopulate the Airbender race, it will take more than one woman to accomplish that task. " He moved something into Aang's line of vision, revealing a tray with several articles of food on it.

"Here is some sustenance. However, if you try to escape, the Fire Lord may order food withheld from you altogether. I am going to leave you now so you can think. But you will still be guarded."

The Colonel turned around and was gone.

o0o0o0o

Katara was by the aquarium again, looking at the fish. It warmed her heart to know that there would be one in the Palace and that Zuko had it done for her. It was exciting to look at all the beautiful and colorful fish, which was a refreshing contrast to the dull-colored fish and animals that lived around the South Pole.

"My lady." Katara heard someone call out softly. She turned to see Sylid in the doorway, his head bowed slightly.

"Yes?" she asked, although she was certain she could correctly guess as to the reason he was here.

"The Avatar is awake now and… you may speak with him." he replied. Katara nodded and approached him quietly, following him when he turned down the hall. She knew Aang would be hurt by what she had to say and was actually dreading meeting with him. She did not want to see anger or pain in his gray eyes, not when she had seen so much love or happiness in them in the past.

Zuko was already there, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. He was glaring at something and as she came through the door, she saw what he was glaring at. It – namely, the Avatar – was glaring right back.

"My lord." Sylid bowed. Zuko broke the staring contest, looking at the two newcomers. Katara looked from the Colonel and the Fire Lord to the other side of the room, seeing a barred door. She held back a soft sigh.

"Katara!" Aang cried out softly. She heard the rattle of chains as he moved to the bars, reaching out for her despite the fact that his arms must hurt from doing so. She quickly moved towards him, wanting to touch his face and hands and give him some comfort. Before she could take hold of Aang's hand, she was suddenly pulled back.

"Let me go!" she cried out, struggling against Zuko.

"Sit down." Zuko replied calmly, pushing her down to a stool that had been brought down here for her. She stopped fighting, knowing it was no use to struggle, and lowered herself to her seat. The lamplight allowed her to see Aang well enough and she could see that he was stripped of all but his shirt and pants. Heavy shackles decorated his wrists and she knew there were more on his ankles.

Zuko's hand remained on Katara's shoulder as he looked down at her. The Avatar did not like the possessive gleam in his rival's eye. It was clear that he was going to keep Katara seated there so the two of them could not make any physical contact with each other. Sylid bowed to Zuko before he stepped out of the chamber.

"Aang." she said softly as she looked away from Zuko. Her blue eyes met his gray ones.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Aang demanded. Katara shook her head silently.

"Not at all. But… we need to talk." she said softly. Aang did not like the sadness in her eyes and voice, and he felt his stomach clench into a tight knot.

"About what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm staying with the Fire Lord."

"You can't. Zuko has no right to force you to stay here."

"I am his consort." she said simply, tearing her eyes away from his and looking down at her hands. But for her coloring, she would have passed for Fire Nation. She had black and red silk clothes, and her hair was pinned up with a fire comb just like any royal Consort or Princess would wear. He wanted her to look at him again. He always loved looking into her eyes. And she just did not look right in red!

"I don't believe that for a second!"

"It's true." Katara replied. His eyes narrowed as he saw Zuko squeeze her shoulder.

"Since when?"

"Since he claimed me as his own."

"I do not recognize his claim!" Aang spat out, glaring at Zuko, "How dare you do that to Katara! She should be my wife, not yours!" He had often thought about making their relationship 'official' and asking for her hand in marriage. He instantly regretted that he had not done so sooner. The initial reason he had not broached the subject with her was because in the Water Tribes, the suitable marriage age was sixteen, so he had thought to wait until his own sixteenth birthday. That was coming up in less than a year.

Zuko narrowed his eyes but remained calm, squeezing her shoulder again to make sure she remained seated.

"You have no authority to lecture me."

"She belongs with someone who loves her!"

"Silence, child. I do love her, or I would not have come for her." Zuko replied firmly. Aang looked back at Katara. She still would not make eye contact, and she looked sad.

"I don't believe you." Aang replied sharply. Katara let out a quiet sigh. Zuko's hand traveled from her shoulder to her hair, stroking it tenderly. The younger male bristled when he saw this motion.

"I can't be with you." the Waterbender murmured.

"No, Katara. Please. No. I love you. I need you!" Aang protested when he saw that Katara was not in any way resisting Zuko's touch. He felt tears misting over his vision. "Katara, please." he pleaded, reaching through the bars. She started to reach for him, but Zuko pulled her back and glared at the Avatar. He could see that she wanted to cry too and she was holding it back.

"I always took good care of you didn't I?" Aang begged, ignoring Zuko's glare, "Don't you love me?"

Katara sighed softly as she remembered all the tender and happy moments with Aang.

"I…" she whispered as Zuko squeezed her shoulder again.

"You belong with me, and you know it." the Fire Lord whispered to her.

"No you do not! I love you! I need you!" Aang protested. A tear slid down Katara's cheek.

"I know you love me…but I belong with Zuko. He needs me."

"I need you. Don't leave me!" the Avatar said, struggling to keep his voice from breaking into a sob. Katara heard this struggle in his voice and was afraid to look at him. It was hard enough to keep the tears from pouring down her own face. Hearing his voice broke her heart.

"I'm sorry. Please, don't fight." she said softly as she looked up at him. She felt guilt wrack her heart and quickly rose from her seat, stalking out of the chamber. As she did, a sob escaped her throat. The Fire Lord glared down at the Avatar, cold and apparently impassive to Aang's obvious pain.

"You will remain down here until you have calmed down. I may turn you loose if you give me your word that you will not attempt to take my her again."

"You have no right to take Katara. You made her say that she needs you!" he accused.

"I made Katara say nothing."

"Yeah right, you were standing here the whole time." Aang said defiantly, "You can't just kidnap her and bend her to your will."

"You have no say in the matter. It is none of your concern!"

"It's my business when you take a Watertribe girl who I love! She's not Fire Nation, leave her alone! There must be plenty of pretty girls in Sozun or elsewhere that would be good for you!"

"I desire no one else."

"I know she never consented to being branded. She cried when I asked her why her breast was marked and she told me about it. I held her afterward and told her I would keep her safe."

"Be silent!" Zuko growled.

"I won't because what you did to her was wrong!"

"That is not your call to make, Avatar."

"So her pain doesn't matter to you, as long as she's a good fuck?" Aang shot back bitterly, surprised at his own crude words. He was barely able to dodge the fireball that shot past his ear.

"Try my patience again Avatar, and it will be all the worse for you." the Firebender hissed as Aang eyed him warily, prepared for another fireball.

The Fire Lord turned around to leave.

"She needs and deserved to be cherished and loved." Aang said quietly.

"And she is. By me." Zuko replied as he disappeared. A guard stepped into the chamber and took up his station. Aang groaned softly, slumping against the wall. A long time ago he had thought better of Zuko, but after what he had done to Katara and the way he had been delivered into the hands of the former Fire Lord to be abused…

Katara was supposed to be with him forever. He loved her so much and he never wanted to let go. It was wonderful to have her traveling with him rather than being alone. He simply could not believe that Zuko could care for Katara, not after he had branded her and made her his concubine in Sozun. Who would do that to someone they loved?

The Avatar lay there in the semidarkness, crying to himself as the guard stood there silently. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

o0o0o0o

Instead of going to Zuko's suite as he probably expected her to, she went to the aquarium room and slumped against the glass, crying softly to herself.

"My lady?" she heard someone call out gently.

"Go away."

"As your doctor and friend, it is my job to help you." Sylid replied evenly.

"Why? You do not even know me. You cannot help me." she said, staring at the fish, "Aang is my friend!"

"And your friend happens to also view us as monsters. He's supposed to be the Avatar, yet he lets personal feelings cloud his judgment."

"Well, Zuko kidnapped me... twice. How was Aang supposed to interpret that?" she asked. Well, it was three times if you counted the fiasco with the pirates... but she said nothing of it.

"There are many ways to interpret it, the correct one being that Zuko desired you so much that he did not want to be without you. And you know he will cherish you."

"I know that, but Aang saw me kidnapped twice. And Zuko kidnapped him once as well. The former Fire Lord was cruel to him. Aang loves me and wants to be with me, he's worried for me. Can you blame him?"

"Concern for a friend is noble especially with the situation what it looks like. But he is the Avatar – it is his lot in life. He cannot give you what you truly need." Sylid told her. She nodded quietly. Somewhere deep inside of her she knew that she was not really supposed to be with Aang no matter how much he loved her.

"That is how it is – we all have our own paths to follow. A smart person accepts it and does the best he or she can with what they have. A stupid person however, whines and complains and shows disregard to what may go wrong if he does not follow said path. And I know it's harsh, Katara. But that's reality and I accept it because I know it's the best thing to do. I'm not only a soldier, I'm also a doctor. In both capacities I try to save lives and protect those I am charged with protecting not just because it is my job but because it is the right thing to do. And Aang needs to learn that he has a job too."

Katara nodded absently as she stared off, but Sylid knew she had taken in everything.

"I'm glad that you're my physician. You're a very decent man." she said. The doctor smiled at her.

"And you're a decent woman." he replied in all truthfulness. She smiled weakly for a fleeting moment.

"Thanks. Now, I would like to be left alone."

"Promise me you will not do anything rash, and if you need someone to talk to you will come and see me first, if not the Fire Lord." Sylid said kindly as she looked up at him.

"I will. But I'd like to be alone right now."

"As you wish…" He bowed to her before retreating. She sighed softly, leaning her head back against the glass and wiping away the remnants of the tears on her face. She needed to calm down, and to do so, she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. If she was with one of the men who loved her, the other one would be hurt. It was not supposed to be like this. She had let Aang have her because she was lonely and needed to be comforted. Was she a bad person for letting the Avatar have her? He was the Avatar, but he was still human, with all the needs that came with being one. He became happy, sad, angry, scared. He needed companionship and care just like anyone else, and she desperately hoped that he would be fine. Part of her wished she had not run off from him like that, but it was so hard seeing the anguish in his eyes.

The late afternoon sun filtered in through the windows, bathing her in a gentle light and making the water in the tank seem to almost glow.

Katara turned to face the glass, allowing herself to smile just a little as she watched the neon-colored fish move around. The miniature mansion had several openings so the fish could move in and out of it. She blinked as she saw the Fire Lord on the other side of the tank, staring back at her through the water and glass. She could make out the concern on his features.

They stared at each other for a moment before she turned away, leaving the chamber. The Fire Lord sighed softly before going after her, following her as she went outside on the deck and leaned against the railing. She looked beautiful in the waning light, a few loose strands from her hair blowing in the wind and the clothes she wore embracing her lithe form in an inviting yet chaste way.

"Katara." he whispered, moving towards her with the intent to take her into his arms. She shook her head and started to move out of his reach, but he took hold of her arm and pulled her close.

"I need to be alone." she said softly, looking out at the water. He shook his head, his embrace becoming more firm.

"Being alone does help sometimes… but know that I love you more deeply than he does. He may love you, but I know he does not have as much passion as I do because he does not see you the way I do, as an equal, as a fighter, as a strong and powerful woman worthy enough to be my mate. I want you at my side. Please, do not feel bad about what happened. All of us went through a hard time and you were confused and needed someone to reassure you… I am just sorry that I was not there to do that for you…"

"I should not have left Sozun… then none of this would have happened..."

"Do not beat yourself up over this. You were unhappy there and did not know what to do after the Agni Kai. But that is past. Please let it go. I am here and you are here. We have a long and happy life ahead of us." Zuko whispered. She looked up at him before she started to cry softly. He stroked her hair as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"I just regret that I did not let you know of my true feelings earlier, I should have told you before the Agni Kai…" he said softly before she got up on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against his.

"I would like to ask one thing of you, my lord."

"What is it?"

"I know that you're angry with Aang, but please show him mercy. If you never want to see him again, I understand, but please don't hurt him. Give him a chance to back out of this peacefully. I need to talk to him later."

He stared at her for several long moments before he nodded his assent. She breathed out slowly in relief and shot him a look filled with gratitude and appreciation.

Her fingers brushed against her lips before they gently touched his scarred eyelid, and he continued holding onto her, feeling a very faint tingle as his marred skin was given gentle caresses. After a few touches, he took her hand and kissed her fingers, silently thanking her for not making him feel ashamed of his mark. They stood outside for a while, basking in one another's presence. Her stomach growled just a little and she looked up at him.

"Can we have dinner now?" she asked softly. He nodded, keeping her arm around her middle as they headed back inside.


	9. 08

**Volcano**

Chapter 08

o0o0o0o

The Fire Lord lay there quietly on the silk bedding, his eyes closed and his chest rising with deep breaths. He was not asleep, and his breath was slow and measured as she applied cool water to him, spreading it across the front of his right hip. He opened his eyes to see it glow as the burning pain melted away, leaving a clean and sinuous mark on his pale flesh. The pain of being branded by the Waterbender was fleeting, a more than fair exchange for what was received.

"Well, now we are even, my lord." she said dryly, glancing down at the mark. A small smile graced her lover's lips before he reached out to touch her hand.

"Indeed." Zuko whispered, squeezing her hand.

"Is there something you want? Something to eat or drink or…?"

"Have a servant bring some wine." Zuko asked. She nodded.

Several minutes later he sipped at a goblet of wine, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat. Katara sat there silently at the side of the bed, watching him. Her eyes slowly moved from his face down to his bare chest to his hip, where the mark she placed on him stood out against his creamy skin.

The mark on her breast resembled fire because of the way – not to mention the element itself that he Bended – he had branded her. The mark on his own flesh resembled water because of how she had pressed the superheated water to his skin. It was several inches long, and curved in a sinuous line. It almost looked exotic and she touched her own breast, feeling the mark under the silk that covered it.

He emptied the goblet and handed it to her. She got up from the bed and went to place it on the table before returning to his side. The drapes were open, revealing a starlit night sky and admitting some cool, fresh air from the partially open window. He waved his hand, extinguishing all but one lamp.

The Fire Lord's breathing quieted down and he looked so peaceful that she could not help but smile and gently touch his face. Carefully, she pulled up the blankets and tucked them under his chin before placing a kiss on his forehead.

When she climbed out of his bed, she slid on his robe over her own. It promised to be a very cool night as it had been a cool day, and she enjoyed wearing his robes. They had his faint scent on them and whenever she slipped one on she felt comfortable and safe. Zuko would always smirk at her a little when she did that, but she knew he liked it.

She was right about wearing the extra robe. A crisp breeze placed sharp kisses along her face as she came outside onto the deck. The Fire Lord had not locked his door, for there was no need for him to keep her captive anymore. The few men that stood guard inclined their heads in polite bows.

The dark-skinned woman leaned against the railing, looking out at the moon and the ocean, feeling at peace.

"My lady?" she heard someone call out softly and turned to see Sylid. He bowed to her, "Is everything well?"

"Yes." Katara replied softly. The man had on a thick cloak and he took a few steps closer, but maintained a respectful distance.

"Are you chilled? Would you like my cloak?" he asked.

"I appreciate it, but no." she said before turning to look at the water again.

"Heavy thoughts, my lady?" he asked kindly. She had no desire to really talk about her feelings, so she simply nodded and nothing else. He continued standing there as if waiting for her to speak. She sighed, looking down at the waves that were breaking against the ship as she wrapped her husband's robes around herself more tightly. The physician continued standing there.

"There is one thing I need to ask, though."

"Certainly."

"How is Aang?" she asked hesitantly. Sylid nodded slowly. The youth was kept drugged into compliance and spent most of his time in his cell, lying there quietly in a haze. But he was kept warm and comfortable, given the same hearty fare the soldiers were fed, albeit it was of course drug-laced. Sylid took the precaution of adding a bit of sedative to every article of food, whether it be soup, water, even stir-fry vegetables so that the boy could not avoid the drug unless he starved himself.

"He is doing well. We keep him drugged so he cannot invoke the Avatar State, but he is safe and treated well. It is my sincerest hope that he will use this time to come to terms with the situation so it can be resolved peacefully." he explained. She nodded.

"Thank you." Katara replied softly. He bowed to her and bade her a good night.

She remained outside for a bit more before heading back to the Fire Lord's cabin. She entered with the utmost care, not wanting to disturb his slumber. He looked as peaceful as ever and she padded over to the bed quietly.

The Fire Lord murmured softly and his eyelid fluttered open. His scarred one remained closed, as that one always took a bit longer to open on waking up. His good eye was fixed on her, a spark of gold visible amidst the darkness.

"Tara?" he murmured softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. Where were you?"

"I just wanted to go outside and take a short walk." Katara replied as she placed a kiss on his forehead. She started to slide off the robe she had borrowed from him.

"Can't get enough of wearing my clothes?" he asked softly. She smiled and shrugged.

"I don't mind. Come to bed." he asked. She complied quickly, slipping under the covers after taking off her shoes. As she expected, his arm found its way around her middle and she smiled as she snuggled closer.

She had thought of her status many times, and even though she was content with Zuko, part of her still resented not having a choice in being a wife. She also felt bad about Aang, and had not been down to see him since he had been captured. She knew he was being cared for, but whenever she thought about him, she felt guilty about the whole situation. Why couldn't life be simpler?

"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing her response to his embrace. She simply shook her head, but he knew something was bothering her. It could be anything – concern about her life in Sozun, or the Avatar.

"I'm sorry…" he started to apologize, and she pressed a finger to his lips. He knew she felt guilty about Aang, and he was still feeling hostile towards the boy. But he showed the Avatar mercy for Katara.

They lay there in silence for several moments as he stroked her hand.

"Katara." Zuko whispered after a few moments.

"I have been thinking." he said simply. She waited as he continued touching her hand, stroking her fingers gently.

"You said before, when I first captured you, that I never gave you the chance to say yes to being my wife. That we've never had a real courtship or anything like that."

Katara said nothing to that. He was right, but she did not know how to respond to that when all he was doing was stating the obvious.

"You were... are right." Zuko admitted. Her eyes widened in surprise. Very rarely if ever did he admit that he was wrong. His fingers traveled along her face, caressing her cheek before running along her lips and she held back a slight shiver.

"So…I want to give you a opportunity to say yes."

How was he going to do that, she wondered. He had already taken her as his.

"Katara. I want you to be my wife and consort. Will you marry me?" Zuko asked in a soft but clear tone. His fingers ran along her throat and jaw and she nodded.

"Yes." she whispered. He pulled her close.

"Thank you for asking." Katara whispered.

"I… owed it to you. You deserve it. But it's not the only thing you deserve..." the Fire Lord replied as he ran his fingers through her hair. He had indeed put her through a lot and this was one thing he could do to make it up to her. "I know that I put you through a lot before, and that I caused you pain."

"Zuko..."

"I missed you very much, but part of me understood why you ran away. After what had happened..." He stroked her face, gazing into her eyes. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret making you cry or feel angry or frightened. I'm sorry. More than sorry."

"You have my forgiveness." She smiled faintly, cupping the left side of his face with her hand. He gently grasped that hand and pressed his lips to it.

o0o0o0o

The Avatar lay on top of a blanket in his cell, feeling light-headed from the drugs that had been placed in his food. This situation was not much different from when he had been a prisoner of the previous Fire Lord. He was drugged, chained, and kept in a cell. At least this time around, he wasn't abused by a sadistic Fire Lord. He let out a quiet sigh, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the muted roar of the engine mingling with the sound of waves lapping against the hull.

He thought of Katara constantly. He remembered the tears glistening on her cheeks, and the way the Fire Lord had kept her from going to the bars and touching his reached-out hands. He missed her presence and the comfort she gave him.

She was the first thing he saw when he woke up from the iceberg. The bond they had formed was instantaneous. There had been so many fun things they did together. Penguin-sledding. Riding the mail chutes in Omashu. Bending together. Taking walks. Sharing stories. Sometimes, she was like the mother he had never known, listening to him, comforting him, caring for him. Other times she had been more like a sister, or just a playmate. She had been his source of comfort when he had been faced with the genocide of his race.

When Zuko had kidnapped them all and separated them, his first concern had been her safety. When he finally realized what 'concubine' meant and what that implied for Katara, he had wanted to strangle Zuko. Of course, strangling someone was against the peaceful way of the Air Nomads, but given the circumstances, he was certain that they would have forgiven such thoughts.

He knew she had felt... soiled by the experience. She was no longer virgin, but he didn't care whether she was one or not. This was Katara, the girl he cared for. Was it her fault they had been captured and held prisoner? Was it her fault that Zuko had taken an interest in her? Of course not. It would be stupid and totally unfair to hold it against her. It didn't change his feelings for her. So over the first year after their escape from the Fire Nation, he had taken care of her, healing her emotional wounds even as she healed his own. He felt physical stirrings for her, but kept them to himself, even though sometimes it was rather hard. He desired her, and when he thought of what Zuko did to her, he would feel ashamed, even though he knew it wasn't his fault. These feelings had been increasingly difficult to deal with. Life would be so much easier without puberty.

But they grew closer. It was obvious that she cared for him, so he tested the waters by offering her gifts and small romantic gestures. When she responded to that in a positive way, he moved forward, bit by bit, ever careful and mindful of her feelings. Slowly, their relationship became physical. Seeing the mark that Zuko had put on her stunned him, and hardened him towards Zuko further. He couldn't ever imagine hurting Katara like that.

It had taken a long time for their relationship to be consummated on the most intimate level, but it had been well worth the wait. And by the time they finally had sex, he was old enough to truly appreciate such a physical aspect to their relationship. He had done everything he could to not be like Zuko, or how he imagined Zuko must have been like to the poor Waterbender. Every time he made love to her, he was thoughtful and gentle, mindful of her and always touching her with the greatest care.

He was able to do this easily because of his nature. He could be loving and patient whenever she wanted him to. His element was of the air, not fire. Air was light and gentle. Of course, there were tornadoes and tempests – but even these mighty forces of air did not eat up and destroy everything in its path the way fire did. Air and water were naturally complimentary. They went together so well, forming beautiful, mysterious fog and mist, producing life-giving rain, and making a protective drape across the sky to make for cool, quiet days.

What was Zuko doing to his beloved Waterbender now? Why did the Fire Lord have to go after the one woman who didn't want him? What was it about Katara that had made Zuko pursue her so relentlessly ever since they had managed to escape the Fire Nation?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone enter the room. Heavy footsteps moved toward the bars, but he continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"Avatar." His title was uttered with a frigid tone. He recognized the Fire Lord's voice. He sighed quietly, but said nothing, not stirring from his prone position.

"I know you can hear me." Zuko hissed. Aang slid his gaze over to the Fire Lord, seeing his silhouette under the lamplight. He was clad in a outfit of black and gold, making him seem part of the shadows. He could not help but recall the Blue Spirit and how it had come to free him from Ozai's dungeon.

"I have no desire to take you back to the Fire Nation with me." the Fire Lord said.

"Good." Aang muttered.

"Good, indeed." Zuko's tone was acidic. "I could have you put to death for that insolence. But I am not my sire, nor do I desire your blood on my hands. I never wanted to hunt you down in the first place."

Aang regarded him silently, the Fire Lord coming into better focus.

"I would say that after freeing you from the Fire Nation twice, I am owed something."

"Not when you brought me to your father in the first place. You know what he did to me."

"He is not my _father_. He is merely my sire."

The bitterness in Zuko's tone was all too apparent, and Aang turned his head slightly to better see his captor. He remembered previously, on the ship, when he had had one of his few actual conversations with the then-exiled Prince. Though Zuko was extremely taciturn, Aang had been able to glean that Zuko loved his father, and wanted to please him. He would have been able to sympathize if it hadn't been for Katara's situation. This change in the Fire Lord's attitude towards the former Fire Lord was profound and startling, and he glanced at Zuko with interest.

"And furthermore, I didn't think he would do that to you. Had it been me, your situation would have been considerably closer to the one you're in right now."

"Yeah. Being chained up when the woman you love is someone's captive concubine. Sounds like a lot of fun." Aang's voice was thick with sarcasm, and he heard Zuko's annoyed hiss.

"She is not a concubine. She is my consort, and when we go back to the Fire Nation, she will be crowned as my Fire Lady. She is honored."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Katara could have made that clear to you if you didn't insist on crying and disbelieving her words."

"Then let her talk to me. Without your... 'supervision'."

"You're hardly in a position to make demands, Avatar. Considering what I have done for you in the past, people would consider me _generous_ if I were to free you from the Fire Nation yet again."

"What?"

"Your bison is unharmed and we have been letting it follow the ship. You would be released and this entire incident would be... forgotten."

Aang knew that the Fire Lord would never actually forget. But the meaning was clear.

"You... want me to leave Katara behind."

"Leave her behind? Don't think of it like that. She is safe and happy. But she worries about you. I am still very angry with you. But Katara has asked for mercy for you. And because I care for her so much, I am willing to forgive you everything you have said and done to keep her away from me. I suppose I should be grateful that you at least have kept her safe these past two years. But her safety is no longer your concern. You have a duty to the world to maintain the balance."

"I can do that and take care of Katara." Aang replied stubbornly.

"Do you wish to be the last Airbender?"

Aang was silent, regarding his opponent with confusion and curiosity. Certainly he didn't want to be the last Airbender. He had figured that in a few years, when he and Katara were older and wiser, they would start a family. Dimly, he remembered Sylid's comment about that particular subject.

"What are you getting at?"

"Come now, you're not that naive, are you?"

"No."

"Good. I will not stand in the way of you repopulating the Airbender race. Infact, I _want_ you to. I wish to keep the world in balance as much as you do. This world needs four elements, not three. One of the laws I passed was that no one was to harass or abuse the Water Tribes, and no one was to go to the North or South Pole without my permission."

"I heard about that."

"Likewise, I can also declare the Air Temples off-limits to everybody else but for you and whoever you wish to invite. You would have a peaceful and safe place to raise your children."

"Not without Katara."

"Let me make one thing clear. Katara is mine, and she is staying with me. I am offering you peace and opportunity. I am under no obligation to offer you _any_ of this, but I am not like my sire or Fire Lord Sozin. And back to the subject of more Airbenders... Do you honestly think that just one woman alone can help you in that task?"

"... You want me to be like the Fire Nation and practice concubinage?" The very idea of bedding other women, or owning a harem of sexual playmates repulsed him. He loved Katara, and cherished his intimacy with her.

"Call it that if you want to, but it is a practical – and necessary – solution."

"That's disgusting."

"I suppose such a idea is repugnant in Air Monk culture. I can understand that, but times have changed. There are women who would be honored to... answer such a call for help from the mighty Avatar himself."

"I refuse to bed others."

"Then the Airbenders will die out, and it will be all your fault."

"You're the one who took Katara from me, and it's _my_ fault?" he asked incredulously.

"One woman alone cannot accomplish this task. It would not be fair to Katara to place all this responsibility on her shoulders."

"She wouldn't mind."

"Really?" Zuko asked dryly as he stared down at the captive. "How do you know?" He just couldn't see Katara popping out child after child after child. Yes, he wanted a family with Katara, but just a few children. A boy and girl, perhaps. They'd see what happened when they came to that point and talk about it. And with Katara's healing ability, she could keep herself and her babies healthy. But there was only so much a woman could take, even a healthy one, according to Sylid. The physician was very forward-thinking, unlike so many doctors who believed that a woman's primary duty was to take care of her husband and bear him as many children as he wanted.

"Because she cares for me."

"Would it be fair to keep her pregnant? I doubt she'd be happy to be barefooted and pregnant all the time, and constantly having babies chewing on her tits. Sylid will tell you that it is not healthy for any woman to bear such a strain on her body, and he speaks from experience. Would you be willing to put her in such risk?" he answered. The Avatar was silent for a moment, frowning thoughtfully.

"We'd have grandchildren. And great-grandchildren." he replied glibly, masking his doubts. He wasn't going to admit to the Fire Lord that he did have a point. After all, he loved Katara, and didn't want to harm her.

"I suppose there's that. But we've argued enough." The Fire Lord was getting tired of going back and forth with the Avatar. Grandchildren was beyond the point. Sylid understood bloodlines more than he did, and had explained that to ensure that the new generations of Airbenders would fare well, diverse bloodlines were needed. For this, women of Earth, Water, and even Fire would be needed. The Fire Lord was no expert in genetics, but he could see the practicality of this solution.

"Oh, I quite agree."

"Good. I will leave you here to think about what we have talked about. Consider your responsibilities as both the Avatar and the last Airbender. It is your job to maintain peace and balance in this world, a duty that I also have though in a different capacity than yours. I have no desire to fight, but I am also prepared to do whatever is necessary. Consider everything carefully – and wisely. Good night, Avatar."

The door slammed shut as the Fire Lord left.

o0o0o0o

The Waterbender was on the deck, practicing her Bending as several thick water whips snaked up the sides of the ship to gather under her command. Normally, the guards would have rushed to stop her, but the Fire Lord had left clear instructions that Katara was allowed to Bend as she pleased.

When the Fire Lord and his men first captured Katara, everyone remembered the fight she put up, and had been certain that it would take a good while for their Lord to break the defiant Waterbender. They had even started to form bets, would it take days, weeks, months for the ruler of the Fire Nation to kow this strong-willed Water Tribe woman to his desire? None of the men who had witnessed the Bending battle would ever forget the impressive sight of fire clashing against water, and wondered if Zuko had merely chased this woman down for a challenge. Yet only two days later, she was no longer kept behind locked doors, seen freely chatting and relaxing around the Fire Lord, and friendly to the servants and guards.

Some of the men were almost disappointed, hoping to see more fighting. But they were here to serve their Lord and ensure his happiness, and he was obviously very happy to have her around. He did not snap so much at his men or act so irritable, something his men could be grateful for.

Katara had her eyes closed, feeling the afternoon sunlight on her face as the water whips formed a spiral around her. She was so engrossed in focusing on her Bending that she did not notice the presence of the Fire Lord.

Zuko stared at her quietly, engrossed by the beauty of her movements and the way the water wound around her body. Most Firebenders were fascinated by their own element and what they could do with it, but Zuko found himself drawn to his opposite, compelled by a primal desire. She wore a long-sleeved black tunic with red threading and matching pants, her feet bound in black silk slippers, the entire outfit molding to her body in a very attractive way even though the cut wasn't form-fitting. She did not seem to notice or mind the crispness of the air.

When Katara opened her eyes, she gasped softly to see him standing so close, and nearly lost control of her water whips. The liquid shivered in the air, threatening to lose form and splash on the deck, but Katara regained her concentration after a split second of surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. But watching you do your Waterbending..." He gave out a soft sigh and a small smile. She blushed faintly, thinking of when she had been watching him Firebend.

"That's okay." She closed her eyes, resuming her Bending. With the awareness that her lover was watching her, she made her Bending more flowing, almost like a dance. When she was done, she opened her eyes, the water whips stilling. The look of rapt enjoyment on his face told Katara all she needed to know.

With a small smirk on her face, she flicked her fingers, causing the whips to approach the Fire Lord, hooking around his limbs. He offered no fight and allowed himself to be led forward, closing the distance between his Consort and himself. Such a technique as she had just used could be used for more... intimate purposes, and he thrilled at that thought. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely registered the playful grin on her face as the whips wound themselves all the way around his limbs before freezing solid, causing him to give out a startled gasp.

She covered her mouth with her hand in a rather ladylike gesture, giggling softly as she studied her handiwork. Zuko could not flex his arms or legs.

"You know, you're the only one who could ever do this to me and get away with it." he said with a playful growl.

"My pretty captive Lord." Katara replied with another soft giggle.

"Pretty captive? I do believe that tern suits you better."

"I thought I wasn't a captive anymore." was her glib reply. He grinned at her. How much more enjoyable it was to have her as his loving Consort than an angry and frightened captive.

His body heat spiked up, making short work of the frozen whips encircling his limbs, and Katara pulled back when he tried to make a grab for her. As pieces of ice fell to the deck, she quickly Bended them, making a barrier between him and herself, her eyes glinting with challenge.

"Is that how you want it?" he asked with a low growl, circling her as flames appeared above both of his palms. Some water suddenly rushed forward, 'licking' his palms and extinguishing the fire.

"You're a defiant wench."

"But that's what you love about me." Her grin was wide and playful, several water whips circling her body, acting like a moving shield.

"It's not the only thing I love about you." the Fire Lord shot back, fire appearing from his hands and around his body, fire-whips flicking around and moving sinuously, fed by his concentration and the heat coming from his body.

Katara's movements were sudden but graceful. She was no martial arts expert, but Waterbending – or any form of Bending, really – requited a certain knowledge of bodily movements that could easily be used for fighting if done without any Bending. The deck was the perfect space for sparring matches, which the Fire Lord sometimes did with his men if not practicing by himself. Now that Katara wasn't fighting for her freedom, she was genuinely enjoying herself, using her water whips to keep him away in a thrilling game of 'keep-away'.

Sweat beaded on Katara's brow, and the air no longer felt cold. She wanted to remove her tunic, but to stop and do so would leave her vulnerable to the Fire Lord's advance, not that she would complain too much if he caught her. His blasts of fire were careful and controlled, and she treated her water-whips with the same care. This did not make the match any less heated, and she was satisfied to see the wet sheen of exertion on Zuko's forehead as he pounced towards her, his amber-hued eyes filled with passion, enjoyment, and determination.

Despite her years of Bending, she was not quite the skilled warrior as he was, and a surprise attack left her on the ground, the water whips splashing around her, darkening the metal. Before she could gather herself – and the water – she was pounced on, the Fire Lord pinning her wrists as he stared down at her with a triumphant grin.

They were silent for several long moments, panting as they stared at one another. Finally, he spoke.

"You're one hell of a woman, you know that? I don't think I've ever had so much fun sparring with anybody."

"That's good to know, my lord." She lay under him, offering no struggle against his grip as he straddled her. He was a handsome sight, his thick, long hair pulled back in a ponytail held in place with a gold cord. Like her, he wore a long-sleeved black tunic and pants, but he wore a thick red sash around his middle, and the stitching along the hems of his clothing were more elaborate than her own, and done with gold thread. Unlike her, he wore a pair of black leather boots, with a slightly curved point at the toes as was customary for most Fire Nation footwear. It was a quirk she found interesting. The cold metal against her back provided some relief to the heat of exertion that was still coursing through her veins.

"When we go back to Sozun, you'll receive instruction in hand-to hand and weapons combat. Then perhaps one day you might be able to defeat me."

"_Perhaps_?"

"Well, I _am_ the mighty Fire Lord, after all." Zuko replied with mock arrogance, lifting his chin proudly.

"Will the mighty Fire Lord let me off the floor?" Some of the water pooled around her form had soaked into her clothing, making for a quite unpleasant sensation due to the frigid air. He nodded and hoisted her to her feet, noting how the damp material clung to her backside.

Lan was waiting at the side of the deck, a teapot, two cups, and several towels in front of her. Katara was still getting used to the fact that she now had servants to wait on her hand and foot along with guards to keep her protected. She and Aang had always shared the work between them and though sometimes the Avatar might do things for her, he certainly was no servant. She patted her forehead dry with the towel before quickly finishing her tea. Right now, all she wanted was a relaxing shower, or even a bath.

She bowed her head to the Fire Lord before excusing herself, returning to their posh cabin. It was a relief to peel the damp cloth off her backside, and she put the clothing on the rack to dry. As she was about to undo her breast-binding, the door opened, and she gave out a startled squeak, thinking perhaps it was Lan. But the Fire Lord strode into the room before closing the door behind him quietly.

"You're not the only one who became hot and sweaty after that duel we had." Zuko said as his eyes moved up and down her underwear-clad body.

"I'm sorry, do you wish to use the washroom first?"

"Who says we can't share?" Zuko asked with a small smirk, untying the sash around his waist and tossing it onto the counter before he started to unbutton his shirt, undoing the gold clasps one by one. He was less used to the chilly late-winter weather than Katara was, so he had a red silk shirt under the black tunic he wore. Katara knew that as they neared the equator, the weather would become warmer although it would remain pleasantly cool. According to Zuko, it never snowed in the Fire Islands, and that made Katara a little sad.

He slid the shirt off, revealing the sculpted torso and arms that she had come to appreciate so much. She knew that the personality of one's mate counted more than looks, but hey, having a _hot_ body didn't hurt Zuko one bit. His treasure-trail peeked out over the top of his pants, and she had to resist the urge to yank them – and his underwear – off.

"What I did with my Waterbending today gives me an idea I think you will enjoy." Katara said, placing her hand on her hip as the Fire Lord loosened his boots and stepped out of them.

**(hot steamy smexy Zutara smex! Per FFN's lame rules, I can't put it here, but you know you can find the link in my profile! Otherwise, this is the end of the chapter if you don't want smut)**


	10. 09

**Volcano**

Chapter 09

o0o0o0o

"We will be home in a few days." Zuko whispered as he pulled Katara close and nuzzled her, both of them relaxing in the comfort of his luxurious cabin. _Home_, that word echoed in her head and she looked up at him quietly. Would she ever be let out of Sozun once she set foot in it? She knew she would feel homesick. Hell, she already was.

The Fire Lord did not miss the sad glimmer in her eyes.

"Is something wrong, Tara?" he asked as he stroked her cheek.

"You are the ruler of the Fire Nation. You were born and raised there. I was not." She looked away.

"I'll make sure you can feel right at home."

"You'll bring snow and penguins to Sozun?" Katara asked before she could stop herself. The Fire Lord paused and looked at her quietly. It never snowed in Sozun – never. The winters brought cool weather and lots of rain, but never cold enough for snow…

During the first few days that she was here with him, he had been so relieved to have her near that he had been very possessive, keeping her close and thinking about what he could do for her at the Palace while feeling tense and irritated with the presence of the Avatar. Now, he was more relaxed and clear-headed about the situation, and was starting to understand things from her viewpoint.

"Katara…" he whispered, taking her hand in his, "I will take care of you, okay? I will make sure that you are happy. And later on, whenever I travel out of the Nation, you can come with me. And we can travel to the South Pole. And when we go there… we can go penguin-sledding." he said with a small smile, trying to cheer her up. It worked.

"…You remember." Katara whispered softly, recalling the conversation they had a long time ago, discussing their favorite animals. He smiled down at her warmly.

"Do you remember too?" he asked. She nodded.

"Scorpion." she said softly. He nuzzled her contentedly.

"I saw a painting with them during… my travels. And later on, in the Earth Kingdom in a town on the fringes of the Great Desert, I saw one." she admitted as she looked up at him.

"And what did you think?"

"You were right, it did resemble a spider. I thought it was a interesting creature." She remembered how the scorpion scuttled across the sand and dried earth, clicking its little pincers. They were poisonous, but if a fairly healthy person was stung by them, they could survive the venom with some rest and the right herbs.

"We have them in Fire Nation, too. A couple of our Colony towns sit on the western edge of the desert. It's been a while since I saw one, though."

"You said that when you leave the Nation, you'd take me with you. We can see them again together." she replied. He regarded her with a warm smile before he led her over to the bed, sitting down at the foot with her.

"Would you like to see one right now?" he asked. She looked at her curiously.

"You have them on the ship?" she asked. He nodded, smirking faintly.

"Where?"

"In this room." Zuko replied. Her eyebrows furrowed with curiosity as she looked around. She had never seen a cage or other holding for a small creature anywhere in this suite. Where could he be keeping such a creature? As she glanced over at the chest in the corner, she felt something scamper along her shoulder and she gasped softly, jerking away instinctively. When she saw that it was his hand, she let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked as the hand scampered along her shoulder again. She realized now what he meant and smirked a little.

"Nothing…" Zuko replied nonchalantly. She gasped as it scampered down her arm before she playfully swatted at it. The Fire Lord smirked before pushing her back down on the bed and climbing on top of her. The little 'scorpion' scampered along her face, tickling her a bit, and she tried to push it away.

"It won't leave me alone!" Katara mock complained.

"Of course not, it has too much fun playing with you." Zuko replied with a smirk. She giggled softly as it scampered along her neck.

"Shoo, little scorpion!" Katara scolded as it scampered lower, making its way towards her breasts. She gave it a few light swats, but it was not to be deterred from its goal.

"How do I make the little scorpion go away?" she mock pouted, although she was glad he was being playful – he was usually so serious. Sometimes _too_ serious...

"You cannot. It is here to stay." Zuko whispered as he gently squeezed her breast.

"So…I'm stuck with it?"

"Yes you are."

"And what am I supposed to do now?" she asked with mock dismay.

"Oh, I can think of a few things." Zuko replied with a certain glint in his eyes, one that caused her to shiver. The hand scampered along her tum and she giggled again.

"My lord, the scorpion is tickling me! Make it stop!" she begged. He simply smirked wolfishly, making his hand scamper lower, near a certain area. As he did, he had to shift his body off her so he could do this, and she took the opportunity to wiggle away.

Katara felt it tickle her hip then the side of her rear end and she yelped softly as he squeezed. She grabbed his hand and looked down at it, wagging her finger at it.

"You are a naughty scorpion!"

"You could always give it a tongue-lashing." Zuko stated, raising his eyebrow. She grinned back at him before she kissed his hand lightly.

"You're a naughty scorpion but I like you anyway." she replied, looking down at his hand and wagging her finger at it playfully. He smiled back at her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, and he took the opportunity to give her several deep kisses. His body was so warm and wonderful, and it was hard to resist cuddling with him.

As she cuddled with him, she felt the 'scorpion' scamper along her arm. She shook her head in feigned dismay.

"And what am I supposed to do with you!"

"You could always let it remove your clothes."

"That's a bad little scorpion!" Katara replied as she picked up one of the pillows and placed it over his hand as if she was squashing it. He growled and grabbed it, tossing it aside as she looked up at him before she felt it scamper along her left side. She decided to play with him and her own little 'scorpion' scampered along his arm. He chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling warmly as she let her hand skitter along his chest.

His larger hand pounced on her smaller one and she tried to tug her hand away, but he held firm.

"Hey, that's not fair!" she said as his fingers laced with her own, effectively trapping it.

"Let my little scorpion go!" she pleaded. He shook his head, grinning down at her.

"Mine wishes to mate with yours." he replied as he squeezed her hand, his eyes glinting with need. She laughed softly, her eyes twinkling as he slid on top of her.

o0o0o0o

"When are you going to let Aang go?" Katara asked as she stood out on the deck, glancing at the Fire Lord. The young Firebender had finished another training session and was now sitting on a stool, dabbing his face with a towel as a servant went to bring tea for them.

"I will have Sylid oversee that. We will arrive in the Fire Islands tomorrow, and there is an large island on the fringes that's used as a merchant hub. We will drop him off near it and be on our way. He will be released this afternoon." Zuko explained and she sighed and nodded.

"Thank you for... not killing him."

"I only hope that I do not come to regret it." Zuko replied darkly. She looked at him for a moment before reaching out to touch his arm.

"You won't. I'm not leaving you." she said softly, trying to reassure him.

"I know that. But there's still the fact that he may try to take you from me again."

"What if I tried to talk to him one more time before you let him go?" she inquired. He stiffened, staring out at the sky. She knew he could bar her from seeing Aang if he so desired.

"It is you who I need and desire. Give me the chance to make him understand." Katara asked softly. He nodded.

o0o0o0o

Katara descended into the ship's hold with bated breath, escorted by Sylid and another guard. She did not want to see the pain she would give Aang with her words, but it had to be done. The flying bison was in sight of the ship, and no one had done anything to harm him at all. Aang would be put on Appa and released.

The Avatar sat quietly in his cell, staring at the wall as if he was meditating. He did not look up as the door opened and she correctly assumed that he did not know she would be visiting. She looked up at Sylid and he nodded.

Katara quietly walked over to the bars, stopping a couple of feet away.

"Aang?" she asked softly. At first she thought the Avatar had not heard her at all, but then he slowly turned his head, as if to check to see whether he had heard her or not. His gaze rested on her for several moments before his expression brightened and he moved up to the bars. He showed no signs of mistreatment and he appeared to have been fed enough. The drugs he had been given this morning were mild, so he was lucid.

She moved closer to the bars, and she could see his eyes light up as she did so.

"Appa is safe. He is within sight of the ship. You will be released in a couple of hours and put on Appa. Then you can both leave safely and go wherever you want." Katara explained kindly.

"I'm not leaving without you." Aang whispered. She held back a soft sigh. She looked around, seeing she was alone in the small room and that surprised her, although the door remained open. What she did not know was that Zuko was out in the hallway, listening intently.

"You have to." Katara replied as she shook her head.

"Help me get free and we can escape together. And this time I will do a better job of protecting you, I swear it!" Aang replied, his eyes gleaming fervently.

"I can't." she said with a soft sigh. In the first place, she needed a key to open the cell and undo the shackles… and she did not want to leave with him anyway, "You will be unlocked in a while and you can go to Appa. And then you'll be free."

"I'll grab you and we can run." Aang whispered.

"I am staying." Katara replied firmly, trying to emphasize what she was saying and get it through the Avatar's head that she was serious about this, "If you try to take me with you, my husband will not be so lenient this time."

"He is not your husband!"

"He is. Or will be soon enough." Katara replied calmly, staring at Aang.

"He does not deserve you!" Aang protested. The Water Tribe woman stiffened, glad that Zuko was not with her to hear this.

"I am his consort." Before Aang could protest, she continued, "You are a good friend, no, my best friend… and I care about you a lot. The time we had together was good and I will always remember it and you fondly, never doubt that. But, I am Zuko's consort and you are the Avatar, and we both have our duties. We're nearing Sozun. The Fire Lord will let you go, you're pretty lucky – I managed to convince him to not harm you. Please. Do not push your luck." she whispered, looking at him pleadingly, not wishing to see him come to any harm.

"I can fight him."

"Please don't. I don't want you two fighting and hurting each other. The best thing is for you to go quietly…"

"Is that what you really think?" he asked quietly. She sighed softly and closed the distance between herself and the bars.

"Yes."

"You're just... _giving up_?"

"It's not giving up." She saw him reach through the bars, and she grasped his hands, squeezing them. "I've been lying to myself for a long time. I care about you, but not in the way you care about me. I tried to convince myself that it was you I could be happy with forever."

"But you were happy." he protested.

"... In a manner of speaking yes. But..." She took a deep breath. "All this while, I missed Zuko."

"How could you? After what he did..."

"He didn't treat me like you and Sokka thought. He treated me well, and kept me safe when we were in Sozun."

"But..."

"Yes. He branded me. Just as Agni marked his mate. His brand... it wasn't a mark of ownership, like you think, or I thought before, but he explained it to me. It was a mark of commitment. And now, he also bears my mark. We are bound to one another, and nothing will ever change that." She winced at the stunned expression on his face.

Zuko smiled in the shadows as he the woman he loved defend him so emphatically.

"No. No, it can't be... no!" Aang shook his head, squeezing her hands tightly.

"I know that Zuko and Sylid have talked to you. I wish things were different. It'd be nice if there were two of me, but that's not the case. I will always care for you, and I want you to be safe. But you have a duty as the Avatar. And I belong with Zuko."

"It's not fair! I've been through so much. Is your company so much to ask for!"

Katara sighed softly, feeling terrible for being in this position, or putting him in his. "I know you've been through a lot. And I will always be your best friend. But we have different paths in life. Listen to me, Aang. You are the Avatar, and there are certain things you need to do. I will always cherish my memories with you, but I need to be with Zuko. I appreciate you trying to protect me and will always be grateful for that fact..." she said more quietly, "But he's not going to hurt me. He is a honorable man."

"No!" Aang said, looking at her fiercely, gritting his teeth.

"Please." Katara whispered soothingly, "Just calm down, and you will be released very soon."

"I am not leaving without you, I refuse to leave you to the mercy of the Fire Nation! Don't give up to Zuko! Don't let him win!"

"Please, Aang. Don't yell at me."

"Please, come with me Katara. I love you. I need you." Aang begged, squeezing her hands again. She hated seeing how much he was hurt.

"I cannot come with you." she said simply. "The world needs you. The future generation of Airbenders needs you. What's past is past. You and Zuko both want peace."

"Well… what if I don't want to be the Avatar?" Aang shot back bitterly.

"You have no choice. You were born into that role and you will always be the Avatar… I know it seems hard for you but you're the Avatar nonetheless. You have a duty. I truly am sorry about how things turned out, Aang. I know you don't want to be the Avatar, but it is your destiny. Please accept it, and things will be easier for you. I care for you and will always cherish our friendship." she whispered, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to break free. She felt Aang squeeze her hands again.

"No… Katara, I can't…" the Avatar said, struggling with his words. When his eyes begun to glow, she let out a soft gasp and stepped back but by then, he had grabbed her wrists. His grip was formidable, and she let out a soft whimper.

"Please, Aang. Calm down." she begged, whispering to him soothingly like she had done so often when he curled up in her arms. She felt the air shift around them, and before she could call out for help, a couple of guards were in the room, along with Sylid. A sudden blast of wind blew against the men, knocking them back. She knew that the Avatar could break out of the chains and bars if he built up enough strength, but this would undoubtedly damage the ship itself and put the lives of the Fire Lord and his crew at risk.

"Calm down, Aang! You're only making it worse! Don't give the Fire Lord a reason to imprison you! Just leave quietly!"

"No!" Aang cried out as the men regained their footing, moving towards the couple.

"Please, Aang! Don't fight. I don't want you to fight!" she winced as his grip on her wrists tightened. His eyes were glowing, but it did not seem that he would go into the Avatar State, at least not right away.

"I don't care!" he said, his eyes glowing more brightly as the men closed in. A sudden growl was heard as the Fire Lord emerged through the doorway, sending a blast of fire through the bars that stunned Aang enough to cause him to loosen his grip on the Waterbender, but only for a moment.

"My lord!" she gasped. Aang's grip tightened again.

"Let her go… Avatar." Zuko ordered coldly.

"Please, Aang." Katara whispered. Aang looked at her for a moment, the glow in his eyes subsiding before he slowly released his grip. Zuko immediately pulled her back, out of the Airbender's reach.

"You have no right to do this to Katara." Aang said, his gray eyes hard and steely.

"Katara is my consort. I will say this once more and only once, do not ever interfere in my affairs!"

The Avatar opened his mouth in protest, but before he could speak, the Fire Lord cut him off.

"Hold your tongue…or I will have it cut out." Zuko snarled.

"Please..." Katara whispered as she raised her hands, trying to calm both men down.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Aang protested.

"Remove his tongue." Zuko said, motioning to the guards.

"No!" Katara pleaded, getting on her knees and tugging at the Fire Lord's sleeve, supplicating to him.

"I beg for mercy, my lord..." Katara begged, hoping her submissiveness would help with her plea.

"Why the hell should I show the child any mercy?" he snapped back, though his harsh tone was not directed at her.

"I am your humble servant." she said meekly, bowing her head and kissing his hand in a show of complete submission.

"Don't bow to him! He's not your master!"

"Be silent and be thankful she is interceding on your behalf!" the Fire Lord snarled at the Avatar before he looked down at his consort. He did not speak for several moments.

"Please?" she asked quietly, "You know I won't run away from you."

He pulled her up to her feet as he looked down at her. "Katara… I don't see why you keep begging for him when he will not listen to you." he whispered. The Water Tribe woman held back a soft sigh as she looked down.

"You know I love you." she whispered, "You're the one I want to be with. But Aang is my best friend and I care about him like I care for my brother... how could I not be concerned about what happens to him?" she picked up his hand and kissed it gently before nuzzling it to reassure him. Aang stared at the couple, feeling broken-hearted. He whimpered, reaching through the bars for the woman he loved. The Fire Lord shot him a glare before lowering his head, pressing his lips to the azure-eyed woman's cheek. From the way Katara's eyelids fluttered faintly, it was all too clear that she was a willing recipient of his attentions.

"Katara..." he whined softly. Katara looked at him, pain filling her blue eyes. She started to move towards him, but the Fire Lord held her back.

"Let him go now." Katara whispered, "Before there's any more fighting."

"In a while, yes. But I need his word before I will release him."

Katara nodded slowly before turning back to the Avatar. Her gaze was calm and clear. Aang didn't want to admit it, but he knew he had lost. He had seen the way that Katara looked at Zuko, mirroring the passion he saw in the Fire Lord's eyes for the Waterbender.

Inwardly, he rebelled against this just as he had rebelled against everything that the Fire Lord and his physician told him. Practically, he knew that Sylid was right about the repopulation of the Airbenders, but what did practicality have to do with his emotions or his love for the Waterbender? He reeled back from the bars, feeling dizzy – a combination of the drug lingering in his system and the maelstrom of emotion churning through his heart.

_No. Please don't let it be_. If the Avatar had been made out of glass, he would have shattered into a million pieces.

"Katara..." he murmured.

"Aang! Aang, are you all right? Zuko, he looks as if he's about to faint... please get Sylid!" Her voice was filled with genuine concern for him. _At least she does care for me_...

o0o0o0o

The sun was out, but the breeze was brisk and biting, and Katara pulled up the collar of her quilted satin jacket. She stood just behind the Fire Lord, with several guards surrounding the couple. The Avatar was brought to the deck, his feet free of manacles, but his hands were still bound.

Appa had been lured to the side of the ship with some hay that was normally used to feed the Komodo rhinos. On his saddle, Momo could be seen, bounding around and chattering wildly as she saw the soldiers.

Katara stepped forward, but remained within the ring of guards. She said nothing as she felt the Fire Lord's hand on her back. She watched as the Avatar was led to the side of the ship, where the large beast waited. Sylid came forward, unlocking Aang's manacles. The Avatar stood there silently for a few moments as he rubbed his wrists. He looked back at Katara, and she could see the maelstrom of emotion in his eyes. She blinked back tears as the Fire Lord glared back at him, commanding with his piercing gaze to just leave already.

The Waterbender longed to hug him, but she held back, standing with her shoulders squared back and chin slightly raised, in the manner of a proper Lady. The silence in the air was thick, and she glanced at Zuko. One could practically feel the animosity between the Fire Lord and the Avatar. She prayed there wouldn't be any conflict. _Please, Aang. Just go quietly._

Due to not being given anything sharp in his cell, Aang hadn't been able to shave his head, so he had a thin layer of black fuzz that looked gray against the pale skin of his scalp. He stood at the railing, glancing down at Appa for a moment before looking back at the couple.

Aang was tempted to simply grab Katara and fly off with Appa, but there was no doubt that the Fire Lord would go after them savagely. He would never be able to have Katara in peace, and if the Waterbender didn't want to be with him... well, what could he do? Katara cared about him, but that wasn't the same as love. He gave out a quiet sigh, seeing his beloved Waterbender stare back at him. He saw sadness in her eyes and knew that she was truly sorry for what had happened. He would always cherish the memories they had together. Perhaps, one day, they could be together again. Or in the next life. There, Zuko couldn't steal her away. Or Katara would see that being with Zuko was a mistake and run away, to rejoin the Avatar she realized she really cared about. He hoped that would happen.

"Katara." he said. She took one step forward to show him that she had heard him. He saw the scowl on Zuko's face, but ignored the Fire Lord. He fixed his gray eyes on the Waterbender before bowing his head, his hands folded in front of him in a gesture of respect. To his satisfaction, she mirrored the gesture.

He climbed onto Appa and the bison lifted into the air. As it did, he continued looking at Katara. She lifted her head, keeping her eyes on him as he went higher.

_I love you, Katara. We'll see each other again some day_, he vowed silently. The image of her face was burned into his mind, and he knew he would never forget her or the joys they had shared. He lifted his arm, and saw her return the gesture.

The ship continued on its journey, and Katara gave out a quiet sigh as Appa disappeared into the clouds. She felt the Fire Lord's hand on her arm, and glanced up at him for a fleeting moment before quickly turning around and heading back into the ship, choking back a sob.


	11. 10

**Volcano**

Chapter 10

o0o0o0o

The Fire Lord blinked as Katara retreated into the ship, but said nothing as she retreated to the safety of the vessel. It didn't surprise him that this would be difficult for her, and he silently thanked Agni that the Avatar had the wisdom to back out gracefully. That was promising. He felt bad for initially threatening Katara with the Avatar's demise if she tried to escape, and was sincerely glad that she had made no attempt to do so. Otherwise, she would have called his bluff – something that Ozai would have all too gleefully responded to with cruelty.

He glanced at the men around him.

"Back to work!" he ordered. The men dispersed, though there were still several men to hold a watch, to make sure that the Avatar didn't come back.

o0o0o0o

Katara had tried to hold back her tears, and barely succeeded in front of all these men. But when she retreated to Zuko's cabin, she let them break free. It had been too much for her. Aang's tears, his pleas, the forlorn look in his eyes. If the situation had been reversed, she knew it would be immensely painful if she had been seemingly rejected and abandoned by the person she loved.

How could she live with the guilt of hurting someone that cared for her very deeply? All Aang had done was love and protect her! He had been the one to hold and comfort her whenever she had woken up, crying from her nightmares. He had reassured her as they had been pursued that he would always love and cherish her. He had done his best to keep her safe, and had given her nothing less than his full devotion.

And what had she done? She had looked away when he cried out and reached for her, unable to soothe his pain. She was a terrible woman. She had hurt both Zuko and Aang deeply, and that made her no better than a common whore. She was ashamed of herself.

The Waterbender went to Zuko's study, Bending some water out of a pitcher to make an ice-dagger, feelng the cool solidness within her palm. It wasn't that she wanted to _kill_ herself, but she couldn't just sit back and ignore her crimes. All she wanted to do right now was punish herself for hurting both of the men she cared for. It was what she deserved...

Katara pushed down the sleeve of her robe, revealing the smooth light brown flesh of her arm and wondered if she could actually press the knife to it. Her hand shook as she slowly brought the skillfully-Bended edge of the knife to the soft flesh, feeling the stinging kiss of ice.

"I do believe I will take that." she heard the calm voice of Sylid. She looked up to see him in the doorway, drawing closer with measured steps. Though his face was calm, his eyes were filled with concern.

"I wanted to hurt myself when I lost my first patient. I felt that I had failed myself and the family of the man I had not been able to save. But I had to realize that it was not my fault, for I had tried my best. And I know you did as well. Sometimes it is all we can do." the older man said gently as he took one step closer. Katara scuttled along the wall, moving well out of his reach.

"Leave me alone!" she ordered as she huddled in another corner, clutching the knife and staring at him warily.

The situation became even more uncomfortable when the Fire Lord walked in, and Katara whimpered softly. Sylid bowed to his superior and took a step back as Zuko approached her.

"Get away from me!" she screamed at both of them. Zuko paused in his steps, a pained expression flashing across his face.

"Katara… please don't." the Fire Lord said softly.

"My lady, please… you have so much to live for and you are not at fault for what happened."

Sylid and Zuko knew that the situation was delicate, and Katara might cut herself if they weren't careful. The Fire Lord looked at her pleadingly, offering her his hand.

"Come here, Katara. Put it away, please... and you can lay down. Lan can bring up some tea. It's okay. Everything's all right."

She shrunk away from the Fire Lord, still holding onto the weapon as her eyes darted from one man to the other.

"I dishonored both you and Aang." she said hoarsely, "I am a terrible person."

"No. You were frightened and sought comfort in someone you knew… but you're here now." Zuko stared at her, his eyes full of pleading and concern.

"You...you were so... angry with me when you first caught me..." she whispered, the knife drawing dangerously closer to her wrist.

"I was upset because I thought that you had hated me, that what I had done for you meant nothing to you…"

"I do love you." she said hoarsely, "But I hurt Aang so badly..."

"What is done is done. Now, please give me the knife." the Fire Lord whispered pleadingly, taking a step closer.

Her eyes flicked between the two men, taking ragged breaths as her shaking hand held the blade to her flesh. Whenever either of them tried to move closer she would flinch. Zuko was so worried for her, he didn't want her to hurt herself just because she felt bad over Aang and him. Sylid stood where he was, looking down at Katara with a kind and concerned expression.

"My lady… do not take such a harsh action against yourself."

"You can't tell me what to do!" she said frantically, her hysteria inching higher, "I don't want people telling me what to do! I don't want to go to Sozun!"

"Why not?" Zuko asked as he slowly descended to his knees, hoping this would put her at ease.

"It's the heart of Fire Nation..." she said softly, her eyes flickering around as if she expected to be attacked, "I want to be home." she said quietly, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Your home is with me." Zuko stated in a gentle but firm manner, holding out his hand. "You will be safe."

"It's too warm. And there's too many people…"

"Are you going to let that stand in the way of committing yourself to the Fire Lord? Are you going to let the hurt feelings of a child turn you away from an incredible opportunity?" Sylid asked in a colder tone than he had intended. The physician realized that his words had been harsh a moment too late. Katara stared at him defiantly, pressing the blade to her arm hard enough to cause blood to come forth.

"I am sorry, my lady… I did not mean such harsh words…" the physician said frantically.

"Go to the infirmary!" Zuko ordered, waving the physician away. Sylid bowed his head and left. She started crying softly as her arm bled onto her robe and the floor.

"Sh, Tara, it's okay…" Zuko murmured as he slid the knife from her hand. Katara looked down, still sobbing softly, the blood on her robe barely distinguishable from the deep burgundy linen.

"No it's not…" she choked out as he scooped her up into his arms. He tucked her arm close to her body to try to stanch off the flow before he rose to his feet.

"Come on, heal yourself." Zuko whispered, turning towards the washroom. She shook her head, looking down as tears coursed down her cheeks. As the Fire Lord carried her down to the infirmary, he jiggled her a bit, trying to get her to look up at him. She was silent, and her gaze remained averted.

When they arrived in the infirmary, Sylid was ready, with a bowl of water, bandages and medicine set out. Zuko set her down on the nearest cot and gently pulled her arm away from the position it was tucked in.

Katara said nothing, looking away at the wall as the doctor cleaned her wound, raising her arm to slow the blood flow. Zuko watched silently, sitting on another cot.

"Fortunately, my lord, the cut is not very deep. Very little if any scarring will occur as long as the wound is well taken care of." the physician remarked. Zuko nodded. After making sure that the wound was thoroughly clean, he quickly smeared some of the herbal concoction on it before it could start bleeding too much again, and firmly pressed a pad against it. All Katara did was weep silently, making no attempt to look at or speak with either of the men.

Sylid was silent as he wrapped a bandage around the arm, firmly securing the pad into place before tying it off neatly.

"There, my lady. The cut was not deep enough to require stitches and I am certain you are glad for that. Now, all you need to do is leave it on for the rest of the day and come and see me tomorrow morning so I can look at it, okay?" Sylid asked, trying to get her attention. All she did was look down at her feet. The physician placed a light hand on her shoulder.

"I truly did not mean these harsh words I said before. I was merely trying to get your attention." Sylid said, trying to coax her out of wherever funk she had retreated to inside of her mind. Zuko quickly rose from his seat, taking her hand and squeezing it. The physician quickly backed away to give them privacy as he cleaned up the supplies and put them away, retreating to the other room.

"Katara…" Zuko said softly, touching her face in a bid for her attention, "I know you feel bad right now. The two of you being together… well, you both needed comfort. I am not going to begrudge you. I am not angry with you." Zuko whispered. She tried to pull away.

"You are not to blame. Please, listen to me and understand. Things just happened. You're not terrible and there is nothing for you to be ashamed of. Come here, look at me."

To his relief, she slowly turned her head to look at him.

"That's better." he said softly, "Do you understand everything that Sylid and I said?" he asked softly. For a moment Katara was silent, but she slowly nodded.

"The fact that you show guilt tells what a compassionate person you are. But do not let that guilt weigh you down. The Avatar is alive and hopefully he will understand that he has his own destiny, just as you do." he whispered. At the mention of the Avatar she started crying again softly.

"Sylid, get the lady a mild sedative." Zuko called out. Sylid nodded and quickly poured a cup of water, slipping in a bit of a sleeping drug. He made sure to only put in half a dose, so that Katara could be calmed but not passed out.

"Here, take this, my lady. It will help soothe your nerves."

The Water Tribe girl turned her head away at first, but after a bit of gentle coaxing, she swallowed the water. It had a bitter taste and she crinkled her nose slightly, but she took it all in. To cheer her up, the doctor slipped his hand into his pouch and offered Katara his fist. She glanced curiously at it and he slowly opened it, revealing a round and hard piece of bright red candy, the size of a marble..

"Is this medicine?" she asked as she glanced up at him. He smiled at her kindly.

"It is fire-candy, my lady. I always have some with me. The sweet taste will help wash away the bitter taste of medicine in your mouth, and it is nice to suck on." he offered. Katara glanced at the confection for a moment before she raised her hand, slipping it out of Sylid's hand. The taste was spicy and sweet, reminding her of cinnamon.

"It's good… thank you." she said softly.

"You are most welcome, my lady. I will give you more on your next visit." he teased gently. She could not help but smile a little.

The Fire lord nodded and helped her to her feet. They walked back to his suite with his arm around her middle. Already she was a little light-headed from the medicine she was given, and he eased her onto the bed before sitting next to her. He tugged the rope near the bed, summoning Lan and telling her to bring them some jasmine tea.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he stroked her forehead.

"A little better." she whispered, glancing at him before looking out the window.

"I was so worried." he whispered as he stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Katara replied. He leaned down to nuzzle her.

"I know you are. There's nothing to forgive. Let us put it in the past and start anew. Just you and me. I promise that it will be safe for you over there. You won't come to Sozun as a concubine but as a wife."

"Start anew…" she murmured softly. He nodded emphatically.

"Let's just… put aside everything that happened. We owe it to ourselves, after everything that has happened. We've been through a lot." Zuko said. She nodded in agreement.

"You're mot angry at all?" she asked hesitantly as he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"Not at all."

"Will… you give me a hug?" her voice so soft she almost sounded like a little girl.

"Always." Zuko said softly, leaning down and gathering her into his arms. She closed her eyes and snuggled up to him, laying her head against his chest.

"I love you." Zuko whispered as he felt her snuggle closer to him.

Lan brought the tea and retreated, and he approached the bed with a cup in each hand, offering her one. They sipped their tea in comfortable silence, and he gently slipped the cup from her hand when she had emptied it. After a while, her breathing become slow and regular, and he eased her back onto the pillows. She looked so beautiful when she slept and he could not help but kiss her cheek.

He drew the blanket over her, tucking her in against the cool weather. She looked so warm and cozy that he could not help but smile. Yes, he would always keep her safe, and make sure that she had the best in Sozun. She did deserve it after all she had been through, and the two of them would start anew and have the happy life that they deserved.


	12. Epilogue

**Volcano**

Epilogue

I was asked one interesting question a while ago and decided I may as well answer it up here for everyone. The question was – which is the real ending to the Cold Fire arc? The one in Hot Water or the one here? My answer? You choose. No, seriously. You, darling reader, can choose whether ending you like better. Whee! Personally, it's hard for me to decide which ending I like better, both have their good points.

o0o0o0o

The return of the Fire Lord with his Consort was a frequently-discussed topic in Sozun for months after the event, including the fact that the Zuko had wasted no time in having Katara crowned Fire Lady.

With the ascendancy of a Water Tribeswoman as the most powerful woman in the Fire Nation, a surprising thing happened. It had been long believed that Zhao eradicated the Northern Water Tribe, and for over ten years, there had been no evidence of any survivors. However, the Order of the White Lotus revealed that several people had survived, amongst them Water Master Pakku, himself a member of the Order. These survivors had relocated to the South Pole for the time being, to help their sister-tribe increase their numbers with the plan to re-establish the Northern City when there was enough people to do so.

With the protection and aid of the Fire Lord, the city was flourishing, no longer the tiny village that Sokka and Katara had left behind when they joined Avatar Aang on his quest.

Katara had never encountered a Water Master before, and though Pakku had refused to teach her at first, her fierce determination caused him to relent, and now she herself had the formidable reputation of s Water Master, a thing that would have been impossible in the old Northern Tribe. It was an outdated rule that would be tossed aside when the Northern City was rebuilt. During Zhao's invasion of the Northern City, the women had been all too easy targets due to the fact that they hadn't been allowed to learn to fight, and upon seeing Katara's spirit, Pakku could see the error of such a discriminatory tradition.

With the emergence of peace in the world, enforced both by the Fire Lord and the Avatar, a few people came forth to Aang, claiming to be descended from a few lucky Air Monks or Nuns that had managed to escape the genocide that had destroyed their race over a century ago. Like the Water Tribes, the Air Nomads had a long way to go before they could become a well-established population. However, the Fire Lord was generous in his aid to the Avatar's people as he had been for Katara's own.

o0o0o0o

10 Years After Sozin's Comet (Year 10 of the Reign of Fire Lord Zuko)

Katara stared at her reflection as she ran her brush through her hair. All of the childish softness had long since melted away over the years, and her eyes held the glimmer of accumulated wisdom. Within a week, she would celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday. It seemed almost surreal that she had spent the better part of a decade here in Sozun. Never, in her childhood, would she have ever imagined that she would be consort – or even a Queen – to a Fire Lord.

Her hands ran along her hair, taming the damp hair into manageability before Lan pulled it back into a braid for her.

Today had been a slightly cool day, and she had been thankful for that. She had been born on the day after the summer solstice, and in her childhood, even during the warmer season of the year, there was still snow on the ground. Here, the summer days were long and warm, and even the spring itself could rival the next season in its heat. After living here so long, she was better used to the climate, though on the hottest days, she got a dizzy sometimes. At least she could Bend water into ice as she needed.

She was glad to be out of her more formal robes, and had replaced them for simpler ones. Even after all the time she had spent here, she longed for privacy and simplicity, and took it whenever she could. Her husband also valued privacy, so it worked out well for both of them. She checked herself in the mirror, making sure she was dressed modestly enough. The comfortable red robe and black pants were loose enough so as to not hug her curves, and the silk was thin enough to be cool.

When she dismissed Lan and left her room, guards took up position near her. When she had first come here, it was hard to get used to. She had to fight the urge to look over her shoulder, and she also had to shake the unease of being watched constantly. But now, she barely noticed them, and felt safe in their presence. They always maintained a respectful distance, so it was not as if they hovered around and annoyed her.

The sun was almost down when she came out to the gardens. After being shut in the Palace all day in Court and a gathering of the noble ladies, she needed to be outside. And the Imperial Gardens were truly stunning, with the expansion that the Fire Lord had ordered over the last few years.

She walked over to a bench and sat down, staring out at the sunset. It would soon retreat behind the volcano walls, leaving the Palace City shrouded in shadow As she stared off in the distance, her mind started to wander.

Katara would feel sad whenever she thought about Aang. It was almost ten years, and she still had the scar on her arm from where she had cut herself. The scar was very slight, because of the care it had been given. But it was still there, the faintest line along the inside of her arm. She lifted her sleeve and delicately ran her finger along it. She had never gotten over the sadness that she had caused the Avatar. His life had been hard, with waking up to a new world, dealing with the guilt of not having prevented the War, and his loss of her. Best for him to start anew, and she hoped that he was happy wherever he was hiding with the new Air Nomads.

At times she missed her home so much that it hurt, but at least the Southern Tribe was faring well. Through the years, her husband had been repairing the rift that had existed between Fire and Water, one that Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai had been responsible for. He sent them ships with supplies, and had declared Water lands off limits to everyone else except for the people he sent to them.

Last year, not long before her twenty-fourth birthday, he had surprised her by going to them himself to ensure that everything he had worked for was going as he had planned. He had taken her with him.

After being in Sozun for so long, it was exhilarating to see her home, and to see how it had grown. Everywhere she went, she saw happiness. Her husband really had done a lot for these people, although he had not been their crutch. His help was only part of the recovery, these people had done much on their own, and their culture was becoming strong again. The village now amounted to nearly a thousand people, her own father and brother included. Many of the children born since the end of the War could Bend, so Pakku and the few other remaining senior Waterbenders would have their hands full teaching a new generation of Benders. The reunion with her family had been tearful. The only thing that kept Sokka from denouncing Zuko for taking Katara as his own was the help that the Fire Lord had been giving them, and the treaties that Katara had helped him draft. She hoped she would be able to go back to the South Pole again soon.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the almost soporific scent of the flowers that surrounded her. This time, her mind remained blank, and she welcomed the quiet. Her hands remained folded neatly in her lap, and she did not notice when someone drew close.

The hand landed on her shoulder so gently that she did not become startled by it. She slowly twisted around, looking up to see her husband's uncle. She had come to think of him as her own uncle as well.

"Do you mind if an old man sits with you?" he asked with a soft smile.

"You're not old." Katara shot back as she scooted along the bench a little to make room for him. He chuckled softly and took the seat.

"If not that, then what am I?" he asked. She smiled faintly and looked over at him. Even in his golden years, he was a formidable man and served Zuko well as one of his most trusted advisers. He was still in his formal clothes, and looked very dignified. She smiled more widely as she found her answer.

"Dignified." she replied. Iroh threw his head back, letting out a delighted chuckle.

"Now, I've never been called _that_ by the ladies around here!" he teased gently and she smiled. He _was_ popular among the ladies, young or old, due to his downright likeable personality.

"What brings you out here alone? Is something the matter?" he asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder again. He had always been a perceptive person, so it didn't surprise her that he would ask her that.

"I was just thinking, is all." Katara said softly, twisting her fingers together. Iroh did not miss the trace of sadness in her voice. Despite the happiness of Zuko and Katara's relationship, there was no denying the turbulence they had gone through in the past. When Katara had first come to Sozun – for the second time – despite her love for Zuko, she had still been unhappy sometimes due to what had happened. Zuko was loving and attentive and provided every comfort for her, but as Iroh knew all too well from personal experience, old memories could be very painful indeed. Zuko certainly had his own share of painful memories, but he had overcome it all – including an attempted takeover of the throne by Zhao – to become a successful ruler.

"The past is past, Katara. Have things not worked out for the best?" he asked. She blinked and shook her head.

"I did not mean it that way. I am happy for all that I have here!" she said in a slightly defensive tone. He squeezed her shoulder a little and smiled.

"Sometimes it's hard not to lose yourself in memory, Zuko and I certainly have done that often enough. I am not chiding you for thinking about the past. The past is only a problem when you dwell on it and let it take over your future. But you're not doing that, are you?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

Her days of being a concubine long past, she sat in Court as the most powerful woman in the nation, possibly the world. Her position was above all but a handful of men, and Zuko would not tolerate anybody disrespecting his wife. She was in charge of the household and balanced the accounts as well as overseeing the servants. The Palace and its grounds were open for her to explore, and she had anything she wanted – including Bending and martial arts lessons, and teachers to teach her about history and other such important matters of knowledge. She was second only to the Fire Lord himself, and how she relished that feeling. Things were so different with Ozai dead and many members of the old Court exiled or imprisoned, or executed for their attempt to aid Zhao in establishing a ruling body that would renew the War. Li and Lo – vociferous critics of the idea of a Water Tribeswoman as Fire Lady or as a wife to their grandnephew – had been exiled to their house on Ember Island. She had found her place here, at Zuko's side.

"How are you feeling today? I trust that the nausea is past?" he asked gently, with all the concern that a father would have for his daughter. She placed her hand on her stomach, and smiled. The swell was not visible through her robes yet, and the last few mornings, she had not woken up with the churning in her stomach that so many women experienced in their first trimester.

"Yes, it is past. Sylid says that I am coming along well, and that there is no reason to believe that there is anything wrong." she said softly.

He beamed, and placed his hand on her back. She was reassured by the presence of his warm and strong hand. He was such a wonderful parental figure to Zuko and herself, and she was always at ease around him. She knew that she could trust him with the child, and though she was sad that Hakoda or Sokka wouldn't be constant presences in the child's life, Iroh was hardly a poor replacement.

"Come, Katara. Let's have some tea. Zuko is in a private meeting, so he probably will not be out until late." Iroh asked. She waited until he rose from the bench. He offered her his arm, and she gracefully hooked her own around it.

o0o0o0o

The Fire Lord was relieved to come out of his meeting. Even after a decade of rule, he found these meetings tedious at times. He wished he had the power to do it all himself, flick his hand and all the reforms he wanted would be done. That was a nice thought. But the kind of power he wielded as Fire Lord was still considerable. With his power, he had ended Sozin's War. With his power, he was helping the Water Tribes and Air Nomads back onto their feet, and with that alliance he was increasing the Nation's strength. With his power he was able to resist the Earth Kingdom's attempts at retribution, and keeping the peace was no easy task.

He would forever be grateful to his uncle for sharing his experience and wisdom, but it was Katara who gave him solace. The first year he was Fire Lord, it was so hard to come to bed and not have her waiting to hold him and listen to him. He had longed for her soothing presence and nurturing touch. The frustration he had felt in his loneliness brought him close to tears and fits of rage many times, and it had been hard to bottle that all up.

After a quick shower and a short period of meditation, he came to the large bed that he shared with his wife, a ghost of a smile on his face as he approached it. The bed was large enough to comfortably accommodate three or four, even five people. The thickest and most comfortable mattress provided the cushioning for it – firm enough for him, soft enough for her. Snow-white linen sheets of the finest quality lined the bed, and at the foot of the bed, a thick red comforter and blanket, both neatly folded. The warmth of the summer nights ensured that the blankets would be staying at the foot of the bed for a while. The mahogany posts rose from each corner of the bed, and a scarlet canopy stretched above their heads, drapes of the same color falling from it. At the headboard of the bed were several pillows of varying sizes, made from scarlet velvet and silk.

The first night upon Katara's return, he had carried her from the door that led to his suite, bridal-style. He had walked through several rooms, her small weight in his arms an easy – and joyful – burden to carry, before he arrived at the bedchamber, and he had gently deposited her onto the bed.

Said Waterbender was now sleeping peacefully, the sheet pulled up to her middle, a flimsy cream-colored silk chemise covering her torso. Her thick braid draped across the pillow, her hair and skin standing out in contrast to the paleness of her underwear. He loved how dusky her skin was, and he never tired of kissing or touching it.

He felt a slight breeze waft in from the open windows. It felt good on his bare torso, and he was always grateful for the cool air that came in from the ocean sometimes during the sultry summer nights and sultrier days. Sitting in Court or in one of his meetings during these times were and are still are tedious for him, and it was hard to dress lightly and still dress properly. He always looked forward to cool showers at the end of the day, and the time where he could simply strip off all of his Imperial regalia and simply toss on a yukata or tunic.

Course, there was one kind of heat he did not mind, and infact, reveled in. And it was located within his lover. He smiled as he carefully lifted the sheet and slipped under it. She did not stir as he slowly wiggled closer, and he placed a fleeting kiss on her forehead. He hated the days when the meetings seemed to run on forever, for when he finally came to bed, she was asleep, and he would not receive a soft 'good night' or a kiss. Of course, he did not begrudge her for that, and she knew and understood that he had his duties. He just wished that his courtiers were not so obstinate sometimes. Some of them still clung to the old ways.

Even now, a few of them still tried to foist off female relatives on him, and he always turned them down. He has no need for others, not when Katara satisfied him so completely, and she always would.

Zuko smiled as he propped himself on one elbow, looking down at his wife. She looked so different, yet so alike to the young fourteen-year old girl he had seen in the Southern village, on his pursuit of the Avatar. It seemed almost hard to believe that they had known each other for over ten years now.

Things had been so different back then. He had placed all of his hope in a boy, only to find it in the person laying next to him. He was thankful to Agni that even when the boy had her in his company, he had not been able to steal her heart. That belonged to the Fire Lord only.

Carefully, he touched her cheek, listening to her soft breathing as his fingers ghosted along her throat and shoulder. She had grown so much from the scared girl that he had brought back to Sozun as his consort. Back then, even when she was no longer under Ozai's eye, she was still uncomfortable in her surroundings, and sometimes he would hold her with pain in his heart as she writhed around in the clutches of whatever nightmare had its hold on her as he tried to reassure her. He knew that living under Ozai had been hard for her, and he always tried to assure her that things were different this time around.

She had not had nightmares for a long time now, and he smiled as he placed featherlight kisses along her jawline, inhaling the faint and sweet scent of her flesh. Her shoulder and arm fell under his loving assault, and she stirred awake with a soft moan.

"Zu…" she whispered, her eyelids fluttering open as she stared at him sleepily. He had not meant to wake her up, but he was glad that she did. He placed a kiss on her hand and nuzzled it before looking up at her with a small smile.

"How was your meeting?" she asked softly.

"The usual, my wife. Fortunately, we are having a good year for harvest, the reports tell me." Zuko said, and proceeded to give her a condensed retelling of the meeting so she could consider it and give him her thoughts later. There was also the letter he had received from the affluent Beifongs of the Earth Kingdom, proposing an alliance and trade with him. He was happy with that despite the inevitable meetings and negotiations that would come from this.

"Leave me the documents that the Water Tribes sent to you." Katara asked. He nodded. He always did, as she knew more about her people's customs than him, and she was invaluable in her knowledge. With her connection to the Tribe and her understanding of the culture and her people's needs, he had drafted agreements that were more than beneficial to both nations.

"And you?" he asked, kissing her hand again. She smiled at this sweet gesture.

"I did a household inspection this afternoon. Production in the departments is going well, although we now seem to have more silkworms in the pens than usual." Katara said.

She ran a tight household, making all the financial decisions and approving of the payrolls and purchases, performing regular inspections of various departments and speaking with their respective managers on a regular – sometimes weekly, often monthly – basis. As a result, the household was run smoothly, resources were managed efficiently, and the Fire Lord kept happy. And Zuko ran his Nation much in the same way that his wife ran the household – keeping on top of things, requiring regular reports from each province in his Nation, and sending his own agents to perform inspections – overall, running a tight ship and not letting others take care of his responsibilities. Other leaders in the past often used their power to make their own lives easy and delegated their real work and responsibilities to others. This led to said leaders being lazy and indulgent while their employees made the leadership decisions and causing corruption to run rampant, a example that Zuko fervently refused to follow.

"Well then, tell the person in charge of the silkworm house to bring in more food for them. A surplus of silk is better than a shortage of it, and we can store or trade it." Zuko said with a shrug and she nodded.

"I already did." Katara replied with a small smile. He chuckled softly before wiggling up, placing a kiss on her cheek and pulling her close.

"I could not ask for a more beautiful or intelligent consort than you." he said with an affectionate smile, nuzzling her fiercely. Her curves were so inviting against his body, and he felt the familiar stirring of his need. Even after all this time, he desired her as much if not more, and intimacy with her was just as thrilling as ever.

His hand slid under her chemise, feeling her stomach and the slight swell. It filled him with no small amount of pride to feel this. Back then, when he had first taken Katara, he had wanted to avoid 'consequences'. Now, he was ready. And he would not make the same mistakes that his father had made. He kissed her stomach, nuzzling it.

She was pliant as he slid all her clothing from her body, and he gazed hungrily at the dark skin before devouring it with his lips and hands. Her moans of delight spurred him on. He grinned and continued what he was doing, opening her flesh to him, and she pulled him close, a more than clear invitation to the pleasures that she had to offer him.

Soon enough she uncovered him as well, and fell on him hungrily, showing him a heat that rivaled his own. His fire called out to her, threatening to consume her, but she welcomed it with delight as he again turned the tables, taking dominance and blanketing himself over her, giving her a almost feral growl as if he was a dragon.

"Mine." he growled as he pulled her close, surrounding her body and filling it with himself. Her cries of delight and fierce need filled his ears as he showed her the fire that burned only for her. He continued, and they moved against each other slowly at first, but it did not last for long. In no time, they battled each other for dominance, hands and lips everywhere as their bodies moved in a frenzied dance, one as old as the dance between the sun and the moon.

And it seemed to last just as long. When they were done, they refused to break the union. There was no reason to. Her breathless gasps and moans put a small smile on his face, and he peppered her face with kisses. Her hands moved along his chest and sides and up to his face as she looked up at him adoringly.

He took a deep, slow breath of contentment as her lips traveled along his face, kissing everywhere, including his scar. He gave out a soft groan of appreciation, and ran his hand along her hip.

"Tara..." the Fire Lord murmured as he returned her affection, squeezing her hip as he gave her a fierce nuzzle. His breath was hot against her cheek. Slowly, his hand traveled along her body and down her arm, his fingers finding her own and caressing them gently for several moments. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the love that shone for her, and felt her heart skip a beat, as it always did. She smiled as he slipped his fingers through her own, lacing them together.

o0o0o0o

Fin

Well folks, this exciting story has come to a close that has satisfied me very much and I also hope it satisfies you as well. A but of a bonus... I actually put Yue in Hot Water, but I'm surprised no one mentioned or recognized her – did I unintentionally make it too subtle? She appears somewhere in the Zhao story arc. I felt that what I did was appropriate for her given what Zhao did on the TV show AND in Hot Water.

Editing Volcano was no easier than doing the first two stories of this trilogy, but it was something that I wanted and needed to do, for myself, my craft, and for my readers/fans. I hoped you enjoyed reading this tale as well as the others in this trilogy – any and all feedback is appreciated.

Started/Published 12/27/2005 – Completed 10/07/2006, Final Revision/Edition December 2010

Spleefmistress/CultOfStrawberry


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